Flight
- In many cases a grounded or dehydrated adult bat should show signs of being able to fly within 48 hours. If it does not then other injuries are likely.
- A bat in care will need to gradually build up its strength and stamina.
- All releasable individuals should be given the opportunity to fly once their injuries are healed.
- The bat should be observed for signs of readiness to fly, young bats in particular will start to flap and stretch their wings.
- A healthy bat should be able to achieve 10 to 15 minutes of continuous flight.
- The bat should have no obvious problems with manoeuvring or navigation.
- A bat should be able to maintain and increase height after take off. The individual should be tested in a flight cage or designated area.
Echolocation
- Using a simple heterodyne bat detector the bat should be monitored in flight to check that it is echolocating.
- The bat’s flight should also be observed to confirm that the bat is able to navigate objects.
Feeding
- The bat must be able to feed itself.
- The bat should show an instinct to catch live prey. For individuals in care over short periods of time – this should not be a problem. Longer-term casualties and young bats will require more help to ensure they will be able to hunt and catch their own food.
- The bat’s progress should be monitored through droppings (consistency/shape, and dissection if feeding on flying insects) and weight.
Grooming
A healthy bat, ready for release, will groom itself regularly – an individual that does not appear to do this may have trouble grooming because of an external injury. It may also indicate underlying internal injuries that would otherwise be difficult to detect.