Thirsty red bat in Fed Ex warehouse

We want people to know that when bats swoop down low inside a building, they are not attacking, they are simply desperately thirsty!

This little red bat was trapped in a FedEx warehouse and was panicked and exhausted from dodging forklifts and floor polishers.  She was desperately thirsty and repeatedly skimmed what, in the natural world, would have to be water.

Bats’ echlocation calls bounce away off flat shiny surfaces, instead of back at them, so millions of years of evolution tell them the only thing that has that characteristic (in nature) is water.

Her exertions only gave her a tounge full of floor wax instead of water and after a long while she collapsed on the floor, completely spent.
Steve and co-workers came to the rescue and contained her and brought her to the refuge. Thanks so much y’all!

She had had it with humans by the time she came to us and was as feisty as can be, and that’s saying a lot for a red bat!
We fed and watered her as much as she would let us, and soon it was obvious that she was really wanted to go.

So at midnight, after one last long drink of water and a few more mealworms, we sent her back to the wild from the release platform.

All the best little bat!  Thanks for the visit!