Rescuing a stowaway microbat: this is Chockie скачать в хорошем качестве

Rescuing a stowaway microbat: this is Chockie

I was called to an Airbnb by a member of public who shook some fluff off his jumper sleeve, and out popped a microbat which flapped across the floor and disappeared into a corner. The MOP (member of public) and his partner had just driven 400 kms from their previous overnight stay in the country. This was about a week before travel and lockdown measures were initiated for Covid-19 isolation quarantine. I didn't think it would take me so long to find this little one. The room was quite dark so I needed my headlight torch. After the first 15 minutes looking behind the lounge and in a deep crevice alongside the built in wardrobe, I was beginning to think this bat wasn't going to be found. I personally dusted behind the entire lounge with my body (they should definitely sack their cleaner) and I was about to give up, and let the MOP call me when it reappeared. We were putting the bedside drawers back when the guy tipped the unit to get it back into place, and there was our little stowaway up inside the unit, beside the drawers. Somehow I didn't get good video of any of her actual rescue - well it was ok but not when I got her out and had a look at her, and had to listen to her swearing at me. I think I thought I had the video on and turned it off, or vice versa. Whatever I did, I got excellent video of my groin on the way home in the car LOL. Winkling her out of her little crevice was almost an art form. I don't rescue many microbats but when I do they occasionally like to be in squidgy little places. I could pretend I knew exactly what she was on sight; I did think she was a Broad Nosed Bat, but the people who see better than I do and who like to work out exactly what species they have according to colour variations of fur or the shape of a ear notch, or the shape of its penis head (which I always find difficult when the batty is a female), tell me reliably that this little girl is Chocolate Wattled Bat, with an extensive range of swearwords, who was just napping in a warm jumper when she was kidnapped by a furless giant and taken off to the city. Chocolate Wattled Bats aren't endemic to the city, and the last place the jumper was worn was 400 kms away in the country. Thus, Chockie our little CWB was a stowaway or kidnappee, depending on whose point of view you are prepared to believe. She was supposed to be returned to sender (driven back west) after a few days' observation, but the weather was inclement for her release, and in waiting for better weather the Covid-19 travel restrictions started to lock things down further. The weather didn't clear, so she is now being overwintered with the carer till Springtime. We can't release microbats once it gets too cold - their family and friends will all be in torpor and there won't be enough food for her to get fat enough to last a winter without eating. She could be fattened up enough for release, but that takes her further into the cold time. It's better to wait till spring and release her back into her territory, fit, chubby and raring to go.