Volgograd students rescue a stray bat
The young bat hung under the ceiling, quietly observing people passing below.
In Volgograd, good‑natured students at one of the city’s universities rescued a bat. According to the rescuers, the tiny creature sat frightened by the dean’s office, but they helped it orient itself and fly free. An expert described the students’ actions as «almost correct».
Students eventually took it down and placed it carefully on an outside windowsill.
«We spotted the critter by the dean’s office. The bat was hanging and showed no signs of life. Apparently, she was taking exams,» the students said. «After classes we started figuring out what to do. We thought that inside the building it could simply starve to death. We asked teachers and the cleaner, but no one would take it down. In the end, together with a friend we asked the dean’s office for a sheet of paper and carried the bat to a window. On the outside windowsill we covered it with another piece of paper so it wouldn’t be hot in the sun, and apparently it flew away at night.»
Alina Yerina, head of the Tsentr reabilitatsii dikikh zhivotnykh «Ptichy Ostrov» (Bird Island Wildlife Rehabilitation Center), assessed the students’ actions. The expert, who has extensive experience rescuing bats, said that a “season” of finding bats in all sorts of places is now expected, and outlined the correct procedure when encountering them.
«Judging by the photo, this is a noctule; its little face looks like a teddy bear. What the guys did was almost entirely right. But under no circumstances, when the cold sets in, should you toss a bat out the window — that can lead to its death. Right now bats will be actively looking for wintering spots. So they may fly into buildings — that’s normal. In such cases, be sure to put on gloves; we recommend fabric ones. If the bat is large, wear two pairs on one hand — it won’t bite through them. With your hands protected, place the bat in a box and release it preferably in the evening, at the onset of darkness. To do this, go somewhere open — a yard, a street, in front of the same university building — open the box, hold it out at arm’s length and wait until the bat flies away. It may take as long as 15 minutes: during that time they look around and begin to shiver and vibrate like little engines, and only then do they take off. If the bat drops, pick it up and give it another chance to fly. If that doesn’t help, then you need to contact specialists.»
