A bat can be taken into care for the purpose of release back into the wild, providing there is no satisfactory alternative.
Euthanasia can be carried out if it is in the welfare interest of the bat. This does not necessarily need to be delivered by a veterinary professional but the rehabilitator must be competent and able to carry out the procedure humanely.
The keeping of bats in permanent captivity is now licensable.
Animal welfare legislation
Animal Welfare Act 2006 (England and Wales), Animal Health and Welfare Act 2006 (Scotland), Welfare
of Animals Act 2011 (Northern Ireland).
Introduce legal requirements on people who are responsible for animals that are in captivity, even temporarily, effectively setting a requirement for keepers to meet the needs of those animals.
An animal’s needs include:
Its need for a suitable environment,
Its need for a suitable diet,
Its need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns,
Any need it has to be housed with, or apart from, other animals,
Its need to be protected from suffering, injury and disease.
For more detailed information about the Animal Welfare Act please refer to the “Animal Welfare Act 2006 – guidance for wildlife rehabilitators, RSPCA 2007”.
Licensing
A possession licence is required for the possession of wild bats, in England, Wales and Scotland via the relevant Statutory Nature Conservation Organisation (SNCO) (please refer to the Further information, support and references section for more information). These licences cover:
Captive bats, kept for education purposes only. An individual will need to justify the keeping of bats in captivity on the licence application,
Keeping of dead bats (obtained after 1994).
It is recommended that a licence be obtained for any bat that has been in care for longer than 6 months, even if the intention is to release the bat once recovered.
In Northern Ireland possession licences can be issued for education purposes where required – this should be discussed with the SNCO.
It is important to keep a record of each bat as this may be needed for reporting purposes – this will include where the bat came from, injuries, treatment, when released, any individuals that died, as well as those to be kept for education, etc.
Support and further information is available from BCT and the SNCOs (see Further information, support and references).
Equipment needed
Cages and cloth for lining.
Food source – e.g. mealworms.
Gloves – this should be a pair for each bat cage. Vinyl or latex gloves can be worn over protective gloves so that infections are not transferred from bat to bat.
Appropriate heating.
Tools for administering water, etc e.g. fine paintbrush, plastic syringe.
Tweezers – for feeding mealworms.
Weighing equipment.
Measuring equipment e.g. a six inch ruler for forearm measuring.
A rehabilitator should be able to:
Make an evaluation of a grounded/injured bat.
Safely collect and transport a bat to a more experienced bat rehabilitator where necessary
Demonstrate safe working procedures.
Provide a suitable environment and care for bats in captivity.
Age, sex and identify bats to species.
Examine a bat and assess its condition and health.
Know when to request help from a vet or more experienced bat carer.