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Wildlife Encounters:  The bat at school (and other rescue stories)  |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 23 2007 : 07:55:58 AM
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As I was leaving school after dropping off my daughter, a little girl came running down the hall and told me (why me?) that a dead bat had just came back to life on the fish aquarium down the hall.
Okay, I said, I'll see about it...
Sure enough, there was a very sad-looking but alive bat on the big aquarium - looked like it had fallen into the water overnight and had a rough time getting out again.
The teachers were all aflutter about what to do, so they called the janitor, but in the meantime, I scrounged up a plastic tub from the teachers' lounge & used the lid to scoop the poor thing into the tub. Of course, I was nervous about rabies & all that, but I wanted to try to get it to safety before the janitor came and smashed it (which is what the teacher said he would do  ). So, off I went with the bat in the bucket, drove home, and eased it out onto a rafter in my little 2-sided barn.
It clicked and hissed, but I think it was relieved to be in the open air again.
Yea! 
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Edited by - Jen on Apr 24 2007 07:35:21 AM |
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2007 : 12:45:48 PM
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Yea for you and the bat! I love bats- especially when they eat all the mosquitos that are trying to eat me!
Elizaray |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2007 : 6:31:28 PM
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Bats are so cool. My little friend slept upside down in the barn all day & then woke up about an hour ago. Last time I checked, it was gone. I hope it's okay in this new environment & is off to a night of happy mosquito hunting!
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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marybeth
outstepping
146 Posts
Marybeth
Washington
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2007 : 9:26:14 PM
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I agree yea for both of you. I worked in a school for many years and about twice a year and always by the second grade class room a tiny bat would be hanging at the top of the wall. And that is exactly what the janitor would do and did. I went with him the last time and explained all the good bats do and why he should take him out to the barn next door. But no he said he couldn't do that. He had a responsibility to the school and children and he wouldn't give it to me. Oh poo I said but I couldn't sway him. That's my bat story. MB
Being outside is being |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2007 : 07:33:35 AM
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I expected the staff to cry LIABILITY! That's why I stepped in quick & got out of there. All the while, I was concocting some sort of speech in my head about being a fish and wildlife biologist, or at least I was, and so I'm kinda like "officially" capable of handling potentially rabid animals (without gloves or a net or anything). I'm just glad it worked out as it did
Now that I have kids, I'm much more discriminating about my animal rescue efforts - alas, no more screeching to a halt to grab turtles off 2-lane rural highways. The craziest "rescue" I ever attempted, though, which really just ended up a mercy killing, was a deer on I-70. Back in 2000 Chris and I were returning to the University of MO from a day of fieldwork, driving down the highway, and we saw an antlered buck stuggling to stand amid the late afternoon traffic. As we approached, we could see that his back legs were mangled and twisted together from being hit, and he was desperately trying to haul himself off the road but kept falling down. I made Chris pull over, and before he could stop me, I charged out and stopped two lanes of oncoming cars. The poor buck was screaming in fear and pain. I hardly remember actually doing this in my cloud of adrenaline, but I wrapped my arms around his chest and forelegs and dragged him to the grass on the side of the road. Chris killed him with a blow from a shovel - the only "weapon" we had in the truck as I huddled in the cab of the truck and cried my eyes out. Only later did I really realize what an insane thing I'd done.
And there have been baby possums, birds, an owl, kittens of course...not all ended successfully, but turning my back just isn't an option.
Does anybody else have rescue stories???
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2007 : 7:24:46 PM
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My boyfriend always gets so mad at me because I can't help but rescue animals. I have been known to pull stray dogs into the car and completely change my plans to take care of them. He always says I am taking a risk since I don't know how they will act. Now I can't do that with my baby in the car- I am much more worried about what they would do to her than to me! I also have taken several birds that I have found injured to a local vet hospital and the such. Never have I ever done anything like what you did with the deer though, Jen! You are really lucky that he didn't gore you with his antlers!
Elizaray |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2007 : 11:48:20 AM
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I know - like I said, I was out of my mind! I think it has to do with a woman's deep-seated maternal instinct. Well, mine anyway. Never could stand to see something suffer if I could help.
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Elizaray
outspoken
680 Posts
Elizaray
680 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2007 : 5:46:14 PM
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I know it is silly, but I even hate to kill spiders and such that are in the house! LOL I don't like them there- and I really want them gone, but I like to put them outside if at all possible. The only exception to that is poisonous spiders and ants! Ants should NEVER EVER be in my house! ;)
Elizaray |
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Jen
Expedition Leader
1384 Posts
Jennifer
Calico Rock
AR
USA
1384 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2007 : 11:24:46 AM
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Hee hee! It's the same at our house. The girls are in on it now & scold their dad if he tries to mash any poor benign bug. Ido get kinda militant when it comes to these big, red, aggressive wasps. I like wasps, but we've got to respect one another's territory. And poisonous spiders, yes, freak me out. A few years ago, in SW Missouri, we had a brown recluse INFESTATION. They started appearing everywhere a few weeks before we were scheduled to move out. I can't believe I'm admitting this, but we actually slept in a tent in our bedroom to keep our baby girls (and us) safe without spraying pesticides. The price we pay for our principles (or our paranoia), right?
The View From My Boots: www.bovesboots.blogspot.com
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Wildlife Encounters: The bat at school (and other rescue stories) |
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The bat at school (and other rescue stories)
