Animals arrive at Palouse Wildlife for a variety of different reasons. Some arrive because they have been separated from a parent or the parent has perished. Others arrive because they are deliberately kidnapped or unknowingly picked up to be “saved” when they were actually safe and healthy to begin with. And others arrive because they are injured and need medical attention.
Unlike domestic animal cases where abuse is more common, I have found that most people care about wildlife and want to help. But infrequently, animals do arrive that have been deliberately targeted by people. Unfortunately, that was the case for a young, large, brown bat who we call Spiros.
In early August, we received a call about a bat who was found at the base of a tree. Bats can be found on trees and often are perched there waiting for the sun to set before they delight in a night of feasting on mosquitos. A bat face down in the grass at the bottom of a tree trunk, however, may suggest a problem. This was the case for Spiros. The kind gentleman who brought him to us found him abandoned at the base of a tree after being intentionally thrown into a bucket of carpenter’s glue (I’ll provide more details on this in Part II).
Some people fear bats, and sometimes there are understandable reasons for this. But so much fear and hysteria has bloomed around the culture of bats that they are now unfairly demonized. For example, it is true that bats can carry rabies. However, the incidence of people contracting rabies from a bat is very, very small. In fact, even in regions where rabies is endemic, it is estimated that less than 1% of bats are infected with rabies. Proper precautions and standardized safety protocols fortified with scientific fact (rather than panic, superstition or misinformation) should always guide our decisions and behaviors.
In the past the media and folklore have fueled these misconceptions and fears. Bats sucking people’s blood, bats getting tangled in women’s hair, and bats being a bad omen are all baseless superstitions that have damaged the way humans interact with this important species. As a result, bats are often killed with baseball bats, smashed against a wall or stepped on by those that fear them (or, in Spiros’ case, intentionally dropped into a vat of glue).
Education is one way we can help to change this tide of misinformation and cruelty. I have decided to share the ongoing story of Spiros. With rescue stories like these, it is my hope to educate readers, and invoke a measure of curiosity, compassion and understanding for wildlife and the places they inhabit.
In reading the stories about the animals we care for at PWRR, I hope that people will understand that we need to find a sustainable balance between humans and all the other living beings that share this fragile planet with us. We have much to learn from our wildlife, and there is so much that we share in common. And so begins the story of Spiros, the Glue Bat. Check back for bi-monthly additions to our Rescue Spotlight series, where you can learn more about Spiros, as well as many of the other incredible creatures who come through our clinic.
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