Pet Vet Articles (Published Weekly in the Northern Territory News)

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Bats
Dr Stephen Cutter B.V.Sc(hons)

At certain times of the year, especially summer, Darwin residents often come across baby bats. These great little creatures look quite like miniature people, just upside down (with a couple of subtle differences!) Baby bats are non aggressive and quite friendly but need to be handled with caution as they can carry Lyssa virus. Lyssa virus is a rabies type disease which can affect people. People can be infected with Lyssa through bites or scratches so it is very important to handle bats carefully. If you do get scratched or bitten it is very important that you see your doctor straight away.

Baby bats need to be looked after by experienced carers who have been vaccinated for rabies. If you find a baby bat, you may pick it up and place it in a box using a towel or gardening gloves to protect yourself from accidental injury. Then call Wildlife Rescue and we will find a qualified carer to look after it.

Members of the public often also come in contact with injured adult bats. Their biggest killer is barbed wire fences. Bats get tangled in these fences and can struggle for a long time before they die. When they do get rescued they often have severe damage to their mouth from trying to release themselves from the wire.

With changes to their living environment, and people’s dislike of their droppings, bats have a hard time as the seasons change and their food sources fluctuate. If you have bats that feed from your garden and you feel they are pest, try to remember that they need to survive too, and that their habitat is often used by humans. You can limit stains from bat droppings by taking your washing before dark, throwing a cover over your car, and moving things away from underneath direct flight paths.

For Wildlife Rescue call 0409090840

Copyright © 2005-2008 Dr Stephen M Cutter
May not be reproduced without written permission from the author.