If you’ve got travel plans this summer, you’ll want to take a quick inspection of your vehicle before returning home; you may have picked up a furry friend along the way.
British Columbians are being asked to make sure they aren’t accidentally stowing away bats during the course of their travels.
Brown bats, and other bat species, will sometimes hide in the nooks and crannies of trailers, campers, trucks, and other vehicles.
As a result, they can be taken hundreds or thousands of kilometres from home.
Not only does this make for lost stowaway bats, it’s especially bad news if those bats carry white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that can devastate local bat populations.
White-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats in eastern North America, and has recently made its way to Washington state. Luckily, it hasn’t yet become an issue in B.C.
That said, wildlife health experts, including British Columbia’s chief veterinary officer, say bats that are inadvertently moved thousands of kilometres could spread the disease to native bat populations.
Here are a few things to remember if you do find a bat:
- You should notify the B.C. Wildlife Health Program (250-751-3219 or 250-751-3234) or the the BC Community Bat Program (1-855-922-2287).
- Don’t touch a bat with your bare hands! Instead, use a thick towel, oven mitts, or a leather glove. Or, gently nudge the bat into a container using a whisk broom and release it.
- A small percentage (less than 0.5%) of bats in B.C. carry the rabies virus. If you’re bitten or scratched, wash the affected area with warm, soapy water immediately, and seek medical care.
So before you hit the road, take a minute to make sure you don’t have any hop-ons. The bats will thank you!
