Latest Bat News!
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
| Thank you for supporting our work with bats. It's been a busy Fall season! Bat rescues, school and library outreach programs, meeting with CalTrans about bats and highway construction, working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife over regulatory changes, and more! In this newsletter we'll take a look at some of our recent activities with bats.
|
|
This Fall season we've fielded many calls about bats roosting where people don't expect them. This time of year, bats are often migrating, so people may see them more often than they do earlier in the year. Sometimes you'll see a bat that is injured, but more often than not it is just a bat that is looking for a safe place to rest. Often we can just help to educate people about normal bat behavior. But, sometimes we still have a few bats coming into care. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| This hoary bat was found on the ground near Olivehurst, 30 miles north of Sacramento. We found that she was dehydrated and a dislocated elbow in her right wing, which unfortunately wasn't able to be repaired. This bat will stay with us, and may be eligible to be a "bat ambassador" in the future.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| This female Mexican free-tailed bat decided a yogurt shop in Lincoln would be a good place to get out of the cold. Luckily the people working at the shop gave us a call so that she could be safely removed and given a second chance to find a new place. We're holding on to her until the evening temperatures are above 45° so she will be able to find some insects as she finds a new roosting location. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| If you find a bat in an unusual place, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is sick or injured! This big brown bat was roosting in a wood pile. When the homeowners brought in wood they found her and, thinking she was in trouble, brought her in to wildlife rescue. We held on to her for a few days to give her some extra food, and to wait until temperatures warm up a bit before we send her back out to find a new place to spend the winter. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Caring for the bats that we take in for rest and rehabilitation is expensive. Would you like to help? |
|
|
| |
|
|
| One great way that ANYONE can help NorCal Bats with the care of our rescue and ambassador bats is to purchase something from our Amazon wish list! There are items used to improve their health and recovery, items to make their environment more comfortable and safe, food items (bats eat a LOT of mealworms), items used to feed bat pups, and much more. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| October and November are a busy time for our outreach and education program. Looking at the numbers from this past October and November: - We presented bats to 38 school programs ranging from pre-school to college. That is 114 classes with about 2850 students.
- We also presented bat programs at 14 libraries and nature centers, reaching about 1050 people
- There has been a lot of interest from adult groups such as Sierra Club and Audubon groups, and garden clubs. We reached about 6 groups this Fall
- Another interesting outreach approach is having a table at a festival or special interest show. We were able to show bats to hundreds of people at 12 different events this Fall
If you are interested in having us bring bats to your school, library or group, see our Bat Lectures and Events page for details. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| California's Official State Bat |
|
It's official! The pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) is now California's official state bat! Senate bill 732 passed both the Senate and Assembly unanimously, and Governor Newsom signed the bill on October 8, 2023. This will help increase public awareness of the benefits of these wonderful animals for our fields, our forests, and our back yards. Click this link for more information about the incredible story behind this Senate bill. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| NorCal Bats will be showing live bats at a variety of events in Northern California. Come by and say "Hi"! We typically will have at least three species of rescued bats on display. These are "bat ambassadors" that cannot be released for various reasons, so they help us show the public how amazing and important these animals are. |
|
Here are a few of the events where we will have a table at over the next few months. Additional events will be added, details can be found on our event calendar. |
|
Never handle wild animals, including bats, with your bare hands! If you see a bat that you believe is injured or sick, refer to our emergency bat rescue web page for information on how to protect it from harm and how to get in contact with us. We receive calls from homeowners, veterinary offices, businesses, and other wildlife rehabilitation groups. A volunteer retrieves the bat and the animal is evaluated.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Did you enjoy our newsletter? Forward this post to a friend! Do you want to subscribe to the NorCal Bats Newsletter? Scan the QR Code at the left or go to our newsletter subscription page. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Copyright © 2023 NorCal Bats, All rights reserved. |
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
