Had my hair trimmed; arranged for mail forwarding with the post office; washed the garbage and recycling containers for the new tenants.
It was while I was doing this outside with the garden hose that I noticed what I thought was a really unusually shaped brown leaf. A closer look revealed it was a small brown bat - no, I didn't touch it! It was just lying there on the grass but still alive. I felt bad because it was wet from my hose spraying.
Covered it with a cardboard box to protect and shelter it and called the SPCA to find out what to do next. They referred my call to the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. who asked me if I could get the bat into a box, seal it and deliver it to them in Burnaby. I managed to gently prod our little friend into a box, loaded it into our car and away we went. Poor little frightened thing.
We were so impressed with the people we met at the Wildlife Rescue Association. They told us almost immediately that Sr. Bat was dehydrated and they would start treating him.
I phoned today (Saturday) and he is still alive but lethargic. They have been feeding and hydrating him and they hope that he will improve enough to start being fed worms. He has swelling on his wings (is that what they are called?). They also told me he is a long-legged myotis - see picture below. I was amazed at how beautiful he was - so delicate, small head, very elegant, tiny teeth. And, bats are good for our environment - they eat tons of insects.
You just never know how your day will go!
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