The Conservancy of Southwest Florida's von Arx Wildlife Hospital recently went a little ... batty.
Recent storms contributed to many new patients at the wildlife hospital but especially bats with a colony of 156 pups being rescued. Since 2017, that's the most bats the hospital has had that were in need of examinations and re-nesting.
The issue came to light on July 4 when a call came in from a local resident in Golden Gate in Collier County about a bat colony found on the ground under a palm frond.
Since bats are considered rabies vectors in Florida — they can carry the rabies virus without showing symptoms and can pass it to humans — and with human safety a priority, the rescuer was advised not to touch or handle the babies and to wait for assistance. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Department of Health have rules and regulations when it comes to rabies vector animals.
By following instructions, Conservancy officials said the rescuer helped save the young bats safely.
The hospital's team of professional wildlife rehabilitators arrived and assessed the situation.
More than a hundred Brazilian free-tailed bat pups had fallen from the tree and were huddled together under a palm frond. The goal was to return them to their parents as soon as possible, but only after a full exam needed to be done on each pup to check for injuries.
In total, 156 Brazilian free-tailed bats were examined. Due to severe injuries, 11 needed to be humanely euthanized.
The von Arx team reached out to Bat World Sanctuary in Texas for specialized assistance to help with re-nesting. The sanctuary advised installing a bat box as high up to the roost as possible in the tree and drape a pup catcher to catch any bats that may fall from the bat box.
A von Arx volunteer, Dylan at Homegrown Tree Care LLC, helped assist in hanging the box, putting into play a bat box in his own yard that was unoccupied.
With the rescue and care efforts, 145 bat pups were successfully re-nested.
Bat Facts
Bats roost in colonies. For Brazilian free-tailed bat colonies, the adult female bats take care of each other’s babies. They use vocal recognition and scent to identify their actual babies. Based on von Arx Wildlife Hospital records, three other bat colonies (2013, 2015, 2017) also fell and needed assistance on July 4. If you find a fallen palm frond, please check for bats as it is maternity season.
FWC states, “In Florida, bat maternity season, when it is illegal to exclude bats from buildings, typically runs from April 15th to August 15th. During this period, mother bats are raising their young, and it is illegal to install exclusion devices that would prevent bats from returning to their roosts, potentially trapping flightless pups. During this time, it is illegal to exclude bats from buildings without a permit. Exclusion devices (devices that allow bats to exit but not re-enter) can be used outside of maternity season to remove bats from structures. Bats are protected year-round in Florida, and it is illegal to harm or kill them.”
Rabies Information
If you find an injured animal that is considered a rabies vector, do not handle it directly. Some examples include foxes, raccoons, bats, otters, bobcats, skunks, and coyotes. Contact the von Arx Wildlife Hospital for guidance at 239-262-2273. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. If instructed to transport the animal, wear thick gloves and use a secure, well-ventilated container. Avoid direct contact and never attempt to feed or treat the animal yourself. The von Arx Wildlife Hospital must treat rabies cases as instructed by Florida Administrative Code, Chapter 64D-3.
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