Stupid Red Bats

Despite considering myself officially "retired" from wildlife rehabilitation, I still find myself occasionally suckered back into taking care of bats. This time, a couple of friends found a mother red bat (with 3 pups attached) on the ground in their yard. 

The initial concern was that she had broken a wing, but a quick examination determined that she was healthy. I took her, placed her in a tree, made sure she was calm and all her pups were attached, and left her for the rest of the day. When evening came, she flew away, leaving her pups behind. I left them out all night in the hopes that she would return for them, but no luck. By the way, this is fairly typical behavior for red bats.

Since then, I've been raising the orphaned pups, and they've almost reached adulthood. This may be the best luck I've ever had with red bats, thanks to a new milk replacement formula that's available this year. The three are now hanging out in a large tent and learning how to fly. Stay posted for photos of the pups all grown up...