Bat Care

Bats are very fragile creatures. When they are sick or injured, they require very specialist care.

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Emily is a registered bat carer with Sussex Bat Group. ​Emily responds quickly to bat rescue cases on a voluntary basis, and Imprint Ecology's assistant surveyors are also continuously adding to their skillsets through training.

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FOUND A BAT?​

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Finding a grounded bat during the day is not good. Immediate attention from an experienced bat carer is considered urgent and essential. It may have been caught by a cat, disturbed from its roost, or be a lost baby bat.

 

Do not touch the bat with your bare hands.

Do not treat or feed the bat yourself without speaking to a bat carer or the Bat Conservation Trust. Bats are protected by International Law and depriving them of urgent medical care could constitute a criminal offence.

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• In Sussex, contact your nearest bat rescuer via Sussex Bat Group

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Alternatively:

• Find your local bat group/carer network here.

• Phone the Bat Conservation Trust helpline 0345 1300 228

• Sussex Bat Hospital in Hurstpierpoint - 01273 833258

• Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital in Chichester - 01243 641672

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What about a vet?

If you cannot contact a bat carer or if the bat is in desperate need of medical care, call your nearest emergency vet. If they have capacity they should treat the bat for free, or quickly relieve any suffering. It is still advisable to alert a local bat carer who may collect it from the vets later on.

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If the bat was found resting in a loft, under roofing tiles/felt or in another crevice, it is probably healthy and roosting there. You MUST leave it alone. To disturb the bat is a criminal offence. See bat legislation here.