Baby bat rescue

When we were contacted by Derwent Vets to ask if they could bring a bat in to us we were prepared for one a lot bigger than this tiny tot.  This baby bat was found out in the open and taken in to the vet when the mother or roost couldn’t be found.  A bat at this age would still be suckling and he was dehydrated when he arrived.

We gave him a drink of water at first and put him on a heat pad so he could warm up.  Handling bats is very delicate work, they are all legs and wings!  We began feeding him with a special milk substitute and he has the juice from meal worms.  After a few tries at dripping a tiny amount into his mouth (from a paintbrush) he began sucking properly.  He’s now having a feed, every two to three hours and looking lots better.

We have to toilet him after his feed,  he doesn’t seem to mind us handling him.  Being very careful and gentle is essential, he’s a tiny mite, only  two inches from mouth to tail.