"YABBER-LINER" - ALL ABOARD

I about freaked when I read this:


Please find out who at the Bat Conservation advised any non-professional to "bring him inside". Not smart. Only 5% of bats are rabid. 5%. BUT, the chances of a healthy bat drooping around are far less than that. Sick bats are the ones people find on the ground and they ought to be left solely to those who know how to handle such creatures. Whoever told you to bring the thing HOME was an idiot.

Joe(now I shall go have some tea.)Nation

Izzzzz i really hope...nthng goes wrong!! me a lil woried reading joes comment

So...this bat person now responsible for the care and feeding etc. Can we rest easy knowing they are going to be on the look out for possible rabies or other disease so they can let you know pronto? I would follow up on this Izzie. Please don't take any chances.

Afternoon crew

<just back from dentist - ack>

no no no, don't worry about anything MaMaVerby - all is fine

The Bat Conservation people said to take the bat in overnight because it would certainly not last another night outside - we did ask them to come get him from the playground, but they couldn't do that on Wednesday - hence they said to take it home - however, I was stupid for not wearing gloves, tho, admittedly, I didn't realise it was necessary (doh me) and wasn't told any different initially.

However, all is fine - the bat is now with the Bat Conservation Folk a little north of here and all is good here.

here... read this

http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/bats_and_rabies.html#A2

there is nothing whatsoever to worry about. Brown long earred bats have never had the EBLV2 live virus, the only cases have been in Daubenton's bats. Really. The UK is classifed as rabies free - which is different to the rest of Europe and the USA, I believe. There is nothing to worry about at all.

The lady who has him will release him back up at the school when she thinks he is strong enough - if anything happens to him before that, he will be tested and I'd be notified. No bites, no scratches, nothing. All is good. I will not pick one up again tho without wearing protective gloves.

Will follow up with the lady who has him - no worries.



((((Joe)))) - I was daft for handling it - but I know better now than to without gloves. Gonna get me a cuppa too. xx

oooooooooooooh we cross posted again! That's a little spooky TC! Yep, I'll check with the lady that the bat is alright. Bats are only tested if they kark it here. I'll give her a quick ring now to check all is good.

Ha! Was just gonna ask if you wanted one of these with your cuppa

Izzie, why are bats protected in the UK? Been searching to find out.

I was wondering that too, Letty. Do you have mosquitoes in the UK? (Or have the bats eaten them all?)

UK laws re protection of bats


It may sound batty but it's law in all EU-countries, too (all bats are listed on Annex IV of the EU Habitats Directive).
Bats are considered as good indicators of optimal biodiversity. But they are also among the most endangered mammals in Europe.

Thanks Walter!

oooooooooooooooh.... yes please TC - that would be perfect.

Letty - that's an interesting question and I've been looking for the answer - and there doesn't appear to be a direct answer as to WHY... other than the obvious keeping nature balanced...

I just found this on a website... somewhere

Reasons for protection
Without bats, we’d be overwhelmed with night insects.

Balance in nature
Bats are the primary predators of night-flying insects, playing a vital role in maintaining their balance in nature. One bat eats 1/3 of its body weight and is able to catch 600 mosquitoes in one hour. Their instinct to live in colonies ensures that large numbers of bats will live or relocate to areas where there are lots of insects, keeping insect populations down. And different bat species hunt at different heights, preying on different kinds of insects. The big-sized bats eat various moths and worms that are harmful to agriculture and forestry. The small-sized bats eat mosquitoes and other double-winged insects - - carriers of diseases such as malaria and leischnamia. This is one reason to protect all species of bats.
Many tropical fruits are pollinated by bats.

Helping the world’s flora
Bats that eat fruit or flowers disperse seeds and pollinate flowers of more than 500 species of tropical trees and shrubs. With their help, humans are supplied with a large crop of bananas, cashews, avocados, balsa wood and tequila. If it were not for bats, the harvest of such tropical fruit as bananas and pineapples would decrease by 60%.
Bat droppings are nature’s fertilizer.

Natural fertilizers
Guano, or bat droppings, is the highest quality natural fertilizer. It contains much more nitrogen and phosphate than other natural or artificial fertilizers. In addition, guano in caves supports entire ecosystems of unique organisms, including bacteria useful in detoxifying industrial wastes and producing antibiotic


The fines in the UK can be £5000 per bat... and imprisonment!!!!! They are very protected here in the UK.

Perhaps someone will be able to answer your question better than I have above.

(((((((Letty))))))

yep, I saw that too Walter, but it doesn't specifically (maybe I can't see it) say as to why they are protected.

I am assuming because of the possibility of extinction.

Jimmy cracked corn,......
Good day Izzie and crew. Friday. Fax machine tardy. Clouds dissipating,...patience..
A bat has never been so lucky. Pondering hanging outside walls myself.
The gold tooth and wink did not set off an alarm. What did wake the neighborhood was the "Euro-Quiet Two thousand dishwasher deluxe". Made arrangements to exchange.
Niece is in hair/cosmo school. She is cutting my hair today.
That is all.

Be careful Alex -- you don't want to get charged with loitering. (Loitering with intent -- wonder what kind of fine that'll get you?)

Loitering is a general intent. You don't have to have an intent to loiter to be convicted of loitering.

Hello Tai Chi, just razzing.

As long as everyone is gone, why don't we take over ship, and chart a new course.

Somewhere warm!

We've laws about the protection of bats since the early 1970's (with the exception of the common pipistrelle in those years).
Laws became stricter later, and since 1991 it's EU-Law.

(I remember that I was the 'victim' of two demonstrations during the same holiday in the early 60's in Cologne, at the station, I was hit by a water cannon whilst watching an anti-Shah demonstration at my stop-over. And one week later, while trying to get an autograph from Engelbert Humperdick at a hospital charity, I [nearly] got contact with a police baton in Dorset: the hospital was built on a side where bats used to live ...)

As said, bats are the most endangered mammals in Europe; all 22 different kinds we still have in Germany (40 more than 50 years ago) are on the 'red list'.