Help! I accidentally hit a flying bat with my tennis racket! How can I help it?!?

Question

Hi,

I just hit a little tiny bat with my tennis racket. It was getting dark and he just flew right into my racket together with the ball. He is alive, but he can't fly. Maybe his wing is broken or something. I took him home and put him in small wicker basket in dark room. Is there anything I can do to help him?!! I feel so bad, I am never gonna play tennis till that late in the night. Please, advise!! tks

Answer 1

You do need to call the ASPCA in your area. If you call the Animal Control, they will probably put it to sleep. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals can get it help, or at least give you a referral, since they won't euthanize an animal unless it's hopeless.

Answer 2

Crazylittlewritergirl has some excellent links for bat rehabilitation. I just want to try and clear up some of the obvious misconceptions about bats and rabies that seem to be prevalent based on the other answers here.

Most bats DO NOT carry rabies. The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta has even posted this on their rabies website. Here is their direct quote:

"Most bats do not have rabies. For example, even among bats submitted for rabies testing because they could be captured, were obviously weak or sick, had been captured by a cat, etc., only about 5% have rabies. Rabid bats may be found on the ground unable to fly. Rabid bats may also be found dead on the floor. If a bat is present, and especially if it appears abnormal (i.e., cannot fly or has died), and persons have awakened to find it on them or close to them or within their immediate vicinity, then the animal should be tested for rabies. Under these conditions, the probability of it being rabid is about 5%. If the animal is not tested for rabies, one will have to assume that it may have been rabid. Each individual (or their parent) will have to decide if they think they would have been aware or awakened by contact with a bat or a bite from a bat."

And that's 5% of the sick and injured bats, not one of the millions and millions of bats that live in the wild without showing any sign or symptom of rabies. So the chances of a individual bat chosen at random having rabies are probably lower than the chances that an individual human you meet in the course of the day has rabies. Dogs are far more common as rabies carriers than bats are, yet no one advocates the killing of injured dogs because they might be carriers.

The association of bats with most human cases of rabies is extremely tenuous at best. When there is no other identified vector, the doctors simply label it as 'bat-borne' and assume that somehow a bat must have snuck in while they were sleeping, passed on the virus, and disappeared completely without a single trace.

This is bad, bad science, and contributes to the public distrust of bats, and yet another example of the ignorance and laziness of the medical profession (another being the gross over-diagnosis of spider bites to explain any red mark that a doctor doesn't want to bother to investigate properly).

So, while precautions should be taken (i.e. wear gloves), in this case where the mechanism of injury to the bat is known, the threat of rabies is extremely minimal.

As to the chances of recovery and rehabilitation, it would depend on the extent of injury. A minor fracture or other injury might allow the bat to recover fully, but if it is a major break to one of the wing bones, or another injury that may make it impossible for the bat to fly again it may be kinder to put the bat down - especially if the injury is causing it pain.

Answer 3

First off - wear thick gloves if you're going to be handling it at all. Make sure it can't fly up at you either. They do have potential to carry rabies, though not any more than any other wild mammal.

Don't move too fast so you don't scare it, and try to keep it away from anything loud or startling. That way it has less chance of dying of heart failure before you have a chance to help it.

Try checking these websites. I'm not sure exactly how detailed information you need so I'll just give you the links.
http://www.iol.ie/~corkbatgroup/care.htm
http://www.houstonzoo.org/Wild_Animals_Not_Pets/Injured_or_Orphaned_Wild_Animals.aqf
http://www.nottsbatrescue.org.uk/initial-care-for-injured-bats.htm

Hope this helps! Good luck with your bat!

Answer 4

Well, it is a pity. The bat's bones are very difficult to set and the time and money invested - I am sorry to say - are not worth the effort, especially since internal damage may kill the critter anyway.

You be careful not to handle it or get bitten. Some bats are rabid and that is not something you want to catch.

If you really want to try and save it, look in your phone-book for 'Animal Rescue' and talk to them about if they can come and take it away.

;-D He was probably trying to eat that tennis ball! What an appetite!

Answer 5

It sounds like you've already touched it!

Call your local doctor and try to get an examination for rabies. You will probably have to get a few shots.

Call some Animal Control agency and have them take care of the Bat.

Answer 6

About 2 per cent of the bats in AR. are carriers of rabies. I don't know where you live, but by coming in contact with the bat, you may have exposed yourself to rabies even by handling it. Bats can get out of very tiny spaces so I would suggest you get it out of your house in case it squeezes thru the basket. Contact your local humane society or vet and they will dispose of it. Unfortunately, it will not live with a broken wing. It dove for your tennis ball by radar thinking it was something moving to eat. They will follow rocks that you throw up in the sky too so it wasn't your fault. They have bad eyesight but use sonar to track things to eat. Talk to the vet about your chances of being exposed to rabies and do what he advises. Usually, getting rabies is very rare and mostly from bites. So do not handle the bat!!!!!

Answer 7

Never touch a bat girl!
Almost every single one has rabies, take it in the basket that it is now to the vet.
TO FEED IT!!! Which you will need to do in order for it to survive they eat ALOT.
You need like a net or something, turn on a light outside and moths will apporach it catch them!!!!
Bring them inside and hold them in the net.
Put something over the basket but be quiet about it then throw the moths in!
You will need at least 20 at first!
They burn some much engery its not even funny!
If you cant feed him he will die very soon, so get the hospiatl now or feed him, DO NOT TOUCH HIM AGAIN!
Unless he does not have rabies but you dont know this!
I found this website for you.
http://www.bats.org.uk/helpline/helpline_helpwithbat.asp
Poor thing!

Answer 8

Awesome answers given

Answer 9

Here is a website about US bat rescues
http://www.batworld.org/local_rescue/local_rescue.html

Also:
http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/rehab_usa.html

Answer 10

To be honest, there is probably nothing you can do. I know it's not what you want to hear but please take it from a long time owner of many pets. If you do not have the heart to euthanize it yourself, please take it to a veterenarian first thing in the morning if it is still alive then.

And I'm sorry.