Experiences with Bats

In winter 2010/2011an injured female nyctalus noctula came to our station as a victim of a tree felling near Celle. Since it was clear that she would have to stay longer in the station, we named her Celine.
Longtime we thought, that she will never be able to fly again. But we've trained and trained her, night after night. Celine was really hard working, she couldn't await her training lessons - she really wanted to fly again! She wanted to be free and live in her group. We never had a bat whose wish for freedom was so strong.
Soon she flew a few meters, then she made even smaller fast laps. Celine stood strong, flew on and on until she could fly several rounds.
Then the all-important question: Can Celine take off from the ground? - A take off from the ground for bats requires a lot of strength, but this ability is vital! - Celine struggled a lot, but could not take off from the ground. We practiced again and again. - Then we got more bat patients from a tree felling, they came from Celle, too. Celine trained together with them. She was getting better, but she did not take off from the ground.
Then it was the day, the other nyctalus noctula from Celle were fit for freedom. The next day by 3 p.m. the transport to Celle was scheduled for releasing the bats to freedom. - Celine still could not take off from the ground. - The other nyctalus noctula were carefully placed in their transport boxes and taken to the last vet check, from there it goes on to Celle the next day. - Celine and I were left in the bat station. I realized how Celine was restless, she wanted to go with the other bats and wanted to be free. "The Bat Express" went on to the first stop at the vet. Only a few hours separated the other bats from freedom. - I still had the little Celine in the training room.
Suddenly she wanted to try it again. She circled only a few laps, then I put her on the floor and - YES - she took off from the ground without any help and she flew lap after lap - did not want to stop flying. We repeated the exercise and it worked!
That same evening, we both got into the car and followed the "Bat Express". Once at the vet, Celine climbed into the big boxes where the other bats spent their last night in captivity. The next day we all went to Celle. In the evening all bats got off their transport boxes and one after another climbed into the releasing box at a beautiful place with a lake, fully surrounded by nature. Celine also disappeared in the releasing box.
Later at sunset they flew out - one by one - even Celine. - Her big dream of freedom was finally fulfilled. Due to her strength and her will she now is a proud hunter of the night again and hopefully will soon be a mother of nyctalus noctula babies - wild and free. 

Because of a wing-injury this little bat is currently not able to fly. So she made her way by foot all the way directly into the house of our vet. It is even for us hard to believe what happened, but this bat walked by herself all the way from the place of accident to and into our vet's house. This i s not the first time that injured bats came by themselves to our vet. Even after the vet moved they knew the new adress. But this is the first time, that a bat was walking all the way knowing to get help here. We cannot explain how bats know where they can get help, but however they do! 

During our care work, the Nyctalus noctula Tyson came out of his sleeping quarters and posed as if he was at the photo shoot. Luckily we had the camera with us :-) After a short time Tyson went back to his sleeping place. 

This morning, when our vet wanted to go out on the terrace to feed the birds, a Pipistrellus pipistrellus bat was sitting in the doormat. The bat urgently needed help and made her way to our vet on her own. This is not the first time that bats in need of help have made their way to our veterinarian. Something similar happened in Switzerland many years ago, when 99 Nyctalus noctula bats landed on a balcony of a bat-rescuer in the middle of a big city. Due to the splinter injuries, it was clear that they had apparently escaped from a felled tree. More interesting facts about the life of bats: https://www.bund-fledermauszentrum-hannover.de/fledermausschutz/aus-dem-leben-der-fledermaeuse/experiences-with-bats/

This eptesicus serotinus bat has a particularly dark fur color. You can find even more interesting bat pictures here.

In 2011 Wonja came to our station after a tree felling. In 2012 she lost her unborn babies due to her injuries. Unfortunately the babies couldn't be rescued by caesarean section. But Wonja never gave up and trained every night her muscels to be able to fly again.In 2013 Nina came to our station after a tree felling. Due to her injuries she could not fly well enough. First she was very depressed, but then she made friendship with Wonja and together they practiced every night flying.

2015 both got health and ready to be released back to the wild. Together they were brought to their place of releasing (both came from the same region and could be released at the same location).

Now they live in freedom. 

Unbelievable but true. Of course, our vet has bat boxes outside the house so wild bats can stay their overnight. Actually, they only serve as a summer home, because they are not frost proofen. She was even more surprised when suddenly in the middle of winter a few nyctalus noctula were found in one of the boxes. Worried our vet looked after the animals who were sitting in a for the winter totally unsuitable box. Even at first glance, she realized that a female nyctalus noctula was seriously injured. The animal had a very large abscess, without treatment, the animal would never be able to survive. Because of the injury and the fact that the animals had changed their quarter suddenly in the middle of winter in a non-frost-free quarter, it can be assumed that they were victims of a tree felling. As a precaution, now the other animals are examined. A frost-resistant box was then provided, so that the uninjured animals could immediately return in their winter sleep. The injured female must be medically treated. Keep fingers crossed that in the spring she can join her group again and stay with them wild and free. - The conservation authority has already been alerted that these animals may be victims of an illegal tree felling. 

This female bat was the victim of a cat. The bat will survive. But she has an active udder. Unfortunately, we do not know her quarter where her baby is now alone and abandoned waiting for the mother to come back - until the cries fall silent forever...
RIP Little one whereever you are - the only thing we can do is to take care of your grieving mother. 

A tree was cut into large pieces and sold as firewood. No one was interested that in this tree nyctalus noctula held their winter sleep.
Before the tree ended up in the fireplace, the family, which had acquired the firewood properly, fortunately discovered 8 nyctalus noctula, who were still sitting in the rest of a tree hollow. The worried family immediately responded and brought the animals in a veterinary clinic. From there and we have been informed the same day and our vet, specialized in bats, got the nyctalus noctulas. Currently they are still in medical care. Fortunately, these 8 animals are not hurt badly, so that after the winter they can be released immediately.

However, it must be assumed that slept more than 8 animals in the tree . The search in the remaining pile of wood, in vain. - The conservation authority has been informed about the incident.  

Our nyctalus noctula Cara was not to convince today from participating in their practice round ... 

Eric was our first bat patient in the BUND Bat Station Hannover. Unfortunately, he did not make the release and passed away peacefully on 03/04/2018. 

It took more than one year until Billy could navigate properly again. After his accident last Spring, he could just fly right curves. But now he is back on track! After month of training endurance and complicated maneuvers are no longer a problem. Together with Don he could be released into the wild yesterday. 

For the second time we could watch a bat grieving for a dead friend. When one of the nyctalus noctula in our station died. Another bat, who spent much time together with this bat, put her head for a couple of minutes on the dead body. We could hear a low whine. After that the bat went back to the sleeping place but stood away from the other bats. She wanted to be alone for a while.

Dear people, 
My name is Midas - I am a nyctalus noctula. My serious accident happened almost 4 years ago due to a tree felling. I was badly injured but I was found and got help! For a long time I could not fly, but I never stopped to practice. - Yesterday it happened - I was able to start my path to freedom. We went to a beautiful park with lots of trees. The park was familar to me, because very close to that I had my accident. Some of my cousins were already hunting. Quickly I climbed out of my transport box and then I started back to my home – the park, the forest – back tob e wild and free! I thank you people for your care and that you have always believed in me. Take care! 
yours
Midas 

In 2017 we had a very special guest in our station: The Northern Bat.

The difference between the silvery hair tips of the two-color bat and the golden of the northern bat is well recognizable. 

February 2012 - our vet realized that in the summer-bat-quarterbox in the garden nyctalus noctula were lodging. But it was freezy, so she got the boxes into the house, looking after the animals. There were 32 Nyctulus noctula that obviously became victim of a tree felling.

The animals were full of splinters in the skin that had already caused purulent abscesses. Some bats also had scrapes. One female had a big shoulder abscess. In addition the animals got freed from mites and fleas. Injured animals are - especially in cold temperatures - no longer abke to clean themselves and their fur so they are defenseless against parasites. All animals were cared for intensively. Except the acutely ill animals that bats were brought to the bat station for the protected hibernation in order to prevent premature pregnancy of the females. The releasing of the animals was  in Spring 2013.

It seems that bats know that they get help at Dr. Renate Keil house - because this is not the only case that bats came to a our bat station by themselves.  

"It's my turn!" - Bat August comes to rehebiliation training from his sleeping place. 

Female Nyctalus noctula love to stay together in groups during their time in our bat station. All together they take care of an a few month old male Nyctalus noctula whose Mom died due to a tree felling. 

We are not as popular as pets, the ocean doesn't turn red when we bleed, we're not as big as a nuclear power plant and not as hot as a burning forest. If our tree is cut down, we die in silence, we die painfully due to our injuries, but we are small and no one hears our cry.

signed: the bats of Europe

A few months ago we got a male pipistrellus pipistrellus as a patient from the area in Misburg. After being treated by our vet, who lives in Misburg, he could be released to the wild again. There he joined his group and we looked back on a successful recovery and regained freedom. 
Yesterday our vet had their flatdoor open and were amazed when at daytime a pipistrellus pipistrellus flew right into her flat. This bat had no reservations against the vet - which is very unusual for a wild animal. The vet gave the bat to drink and put mealworms ready to get it to the small bat. She was even more surprised when the little bat suddenly started by himself to eat mealworms from the bowl and drink water from the bowl. Usually wild bats have to learn first to take food and water out of a bowl because they only know how to hunt food and don’t recognize a bowl as a source for food or water. It quickly became clear, this male was not the first time here in treatment. 
We suspect that the bat has lost his winter quarter. The little one has probably remembered that he can find shelter in our vets‘ flat. What happened to the rest of the group is not known. 
Now the little patient may stay a bit and spend the Winter here. In Spring he will be released back to the wild. Actually, this is a very cute and amazing story, but only actually! It is very sad that a wild animal has to fly in his despair at the lack of quarters in an apartment, trying to survive. We are lucky that this male has found the way. - Many other animals have not that luck ... 
Note: The photo shows a pipistrellus pipistrellus baby getting milk substitutes. It is not to the above-mentioned male. 

"I'm just a juvenile, but I guess, I'm the boss here!"   ;-) 

A male Nyctalus noctula made his way by himself tp our vet. He clung to the bat box outside at the house of our vet - obviously waiting for his appointment. He had several deeply penetrated splinters that have already caused abscesses. He was medical treated and after that released in Spring. The whereabouts of his group is unknown. 

All alone and helpless I was lying on the ground, I had fallen out of my quarter and could not get back. A dear family called the police and they brought me to the vet. There I was weighed and measured - I'm already a big baby! But I really missed my Mom. In the evening I was brought back to my quarter. I have loudly called my Mom and after 15 minutes she was already there and picked me up - now we are reunited.

Last Winter Darling (Nyctalus noctula) got injured because of a tree felling. She was pregnant! In captivity during her medical treatment she gave birth to 2 babies. After she raised her babies, she wet-nursed 2 babies, whose mother died shortly after she has given birth to the babies. This was the first time we watched a nyctalus noctula nursing babies from another nyctalus noctula. All 4 babies could be released and are now wild and free! Darling was still in our station for recovery. Her wing got ok again and she started her trainingsprogram. But one day suddenly she got an internal bleeding. Her lung ran full of blood. All efforts to stop the bleeding failed. Within a very short time, Darling passed away. All we can do now is to say thank you to a wonderful bat-Mom and a lovely soul. RIP Darling. 
Her bat-friend Amelie didn’t stop looking for Darling everywhere, Amelie didn’t want to eat or sleep. One of our volunteers spent more than 20 hours to comfort Amelie. Now Amelie started to eat and another bat from her group is now always by her side, knowing that Amelie still needs comfort.
We really need to learn that animals feel like we do, and that a tree felling with bats in a tree is not just a question of how many bats survived and how many died – Every bat is a valuable personality – a bat that wanted to live her live – like we want to live our life. 
Please, spread the word for the bats, talk with other people about bats and how to protect them! Thank you.  

Many nyctalus noctula babies that were born in captivity or taken by Caesarean operation of the mother-bats who got injured due to tree fellings have been successfully released in a protected releasing station to the wild. Over many weeks they came almost daily back to the station due to their not yet very good hunting success. So they took the still constantly offered mealworms in the releasing station. The more they improved their hunting, the less mealworms were taken, and after a short time they joined their wild cousins. After a few weeks they were independent and did not return in the station. 
One day, in the morning in the vet’s office were a mess, several things were swept from the table and from the shelf and lay on the floor. Our vet quickly found a nyctalus noctula with remnants of red nail polish on the thumb nails - our mark for the released juveniles. The little guy had had some trouble, a light skin injury with swollen finger and an injury on the back coursed by biting from another bat, perhaps because another male had defended his quarter. Now the juvenile bat had probably remembered where there is food and help in such cases, and came directly into the vet’s office ... 
By the way, the little one is now back in the wild and hopefully found a save quarter. 

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