I just saved a bat

[WindRavenX]

I was out on my daily jog when I saw a black lab staring very intensely at a small thorn bush. It looked like a piece of black plastic got caught on a thorn, but when I stopped to see what exactly the dog was looking at, I discovered it was actually the wing membrane of a small bat. I borrowed a pair of gloves from the owner of the dog and quickly released it.

They're soooooo cute :D

[JackBeck]

1. Back in college, on Halloween of all nights,

I closed my dorm window and inadvertently trapped a bat in between the window and screen. And boy did the bat let me know. Before I opened the window to see the little booger free I checked it out for a few seconds. And yes, they are pretty cute.

[WindRavenX]

2. see, how can anyone not think this is cute:

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[applegrove]

3. Bats are cute. Just not so much inside.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

4. I once had bats in my apartment.

:scared:

[WindRavenX]

5. lucky!!

better them than roaches x(

[Starbucks Anarchist]

6. I'd take roaches any day.

I also had mice, but that was a separate incident. :D

[WindRavenX]

8. in my SO's apartment in Queens...

...I woke up once and there were tons of roaches crawling over me :cry: :cry:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

9. Yikes!

My old landlord in L.A. told me that one time, he woke up to find a giant rat on his chest, staring right at him. :puke:

[XemaSab]

12. I've had them come by and take a look around before

It can be a bit :scared:

[skygazer]

7. They're very cute

And interesting creatures. Good for you for doing a good deed. :yourock:

[Oeditpus Rex]

10. Good on ya

Bats is adorable, and quite beneficial, too. :applause:

[XemaSab]

11. THICK gloves?

No skin contact? :shrug:

[WindRavenX]

15. yes

I've handled bats before and know how to deal with them safely--they're the #1 transmition vector of rabies.

[XemaSab]

16. OK

I've just read too many horror stories. :scared:

Go to the bottom to read about the 10 most recent cases.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/Epidemiology/Epidemiology.htm

The really horrifying part is what the cases were misdiagnosed as. Pesticide poisoning, bowel obstruction, CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME, herpes, dehydration, and "muscle strain." :scared:

"On September 16, the man sought care at the emergency department of a Cedar Rapids hospital complaining of nausea and vomiting, generalized abdominal pain, shortness of breath, headache, and back stiffness. He reported drinking numerous beers and expressed a concern about alcohol poisoning. The patient was treated with an antiemetic and discharged with prescriptions for antianxiety and antinausea medications. He returned later the same day for reevaluation but left without being seen. He returned again the next day complaining of the same symptoms, at which time he was noted to be hostile, paranoid, and hallucinating. He was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of suspected drug reaction or withdrawal syndrome. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG) performed during the first 24 hours of hospitalization were normal, and the patient received multiple doses of sedative-hypnotic drugs for treatment of agitation. His condition deteriorated with development of fever of 101.5º F (38.6º C) and increasing tremors, followed by intractable seizure requiring intensive care. On September 19, he was placed on ventilator support. He received empiric therapy for encephalitis, including acyclovir and ceftriaxone, and multiple anticonvulsants. On September 23, the patient had evidence of profound neurologic impairment with fixed and unreactive pupils, and repeat neuroimaging showed early herniation. A surgical procedure to decrease intracranial pressure was performed, and a brain biopsy (occipital lobe) was taken. Contact and droplet precautions were initiated after the procedure. On September 28, ventilator support was withdrawn, and the patient died."

[SPKrazy]

13. Ohh, Yes, So Cute

glad you were able to save your bat friend

:shrug:

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

14. I have bats in my belfry.

--Or so I've been told. :rofl:

[Kali]

17. Love the bats

here is a little guy that was out and about at the wrong time of day last year (found it dead a few days later :( )

[WindRavenX]

18. adorable pix

I can't wait to set up a bat box when I move to Utah :D

[Jamastiene]

19. I don't see how anyone could look into those adorable faces

and not love them. They have such cute little faces. Awwwww!!!!

[havocmom]

20. Good on ya!

Bats are cool

[Rhythm]

21. i had one for a summer 'pet' when i was about 13...

i spent a few weeks at a summer church retreat in the mountains, and the house that our youth group had rented for us was huge. There were about 12 bedtooms, so my best friend and i had a room to ourselves.

When we first lugged our stuff in, we saw something in the corner of the closet...
a bat!!!

It was the cutest thing... so she and i made a secret promise. We didn't tell anyone, and we left the window open all the time, so that the little thing could come and go as he pleased.

By the end of the first week, he wasn't afraid of us, nor we of him, and we even held him a couple of times.