Orphan Big Brown Bat Pup

Hello, I am sorry for not posting anything in the last 2 years.

Happy New Year for all of you. :)

Hope this year will be better.

In one night on my way home. I walked slowly. It was pretty dark back there. Something caught my attention. I saw a cat playing around with something. It was not clear. I thought the cat was playing with a cockroach, but it was too big to be a cockroach. Then I went near the cat and I could see. It was a bat pup the cat was playing with. It could not fly yet. It crawled while trying to escape from the cat.

I put a plastic bag from my bag and took the pup into it. Then walked home with the pup. After arriving at home, I tried to move out the pup. It was limp and barely could not move. It was lied down on my palm. I took some photos. Well, actually I do not like bats. They look so creepy, especially the microchiropteran bats. However, seeing the bat pup made me feel responsible for helping it.

I opened my laptop and searched on Google about the bat pup treatment. I also tried to identify the species because the treatment were different based on each bat species. 

It was stated in treatment guidance that we must not touch the bats with bare hand.

Oh, my God. It was too late. I had already touch it with my bare hand. The bats can possibly carry many viruses, including rabies virus, the one that can infect humans. Why we must never touch them with bare hand because some viruses transfer through the bats saliva. If you get bite, the viruses are transferred to you. However, not all bats carries rabies virus. 

The bat pup I found did not have any teeth yet. Hmm.. or maybe it had, but very small. Because the pup was so limb, I could tell that I did not get bite.

The pup's body was getting cold. I made a cage from a plastic bottle and I move it into the bottle.

I could tell from its face and brown fur color that it belonged to Vespertilionidae family, Eptesicus fuscus species.

Based on the guidance, all pups must keep in warm place and be rehydrated 4 until 6 times a day. Vespertilionidae pup can be rehydrated using small brush. After all the treatment, the pup became able to move again. It started to pooped while climbed up on the sock I prepared in the cage. Pooping is also an important part in bat pup treatment. The pup which still can not poop by itself should be triggered. Fortunately, my bat pup could  poop by itself.

It was not so easy to take a good care to bat pups. However I will try my best to take care of it and release it immediately as soon as it become able to fly.