Injured bat found on grass patch, netizens advise relocation and professional help
A late-night stroll turned unusual when a passer-by stumbled upon a bat lying on a grass patch, sparking an outpouring of concern and advice from netizens.
On Friday (29 Aug) at 12.19am, a netizen shared on the Singapore Wildlife Facebook group that they had spotted the seemingly injured bat.
Source: Yiwen Nam on Facebook
In the accompanying photo, the creature was seen upright with its wings spread, but appeared unable to take off.
According to the Original Poster (OP), it had “dropped from a tree” and was being disturbed by a litter of curious cats.
He ended the post with a plea for help from netizens: “What can I do?”
The location of the incident was not stated in the post.
Netizens call for relocation & expert care
The post quickly drew comments from concerned netizens.
Netizens explained that, unlike birds, bats cannot launch into flight from the ground. They suggest that the rescuer place it higher up and away from predators.
One user urged the OP to take the animal to a vet if it was injured.
Source: Facebook
Several commenters shared that in similar situations, the National Parks Board (NParks) or the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) should be contacted for professional intervention.
Source: Facebook
Following the netizens’ advice, the OP later gave an update in the comments.
To protect the animal from the cats, they placed the bat in a cardboard box and carefully nudged it onto a tree branch.
In the video they posted, the OP could be seen carrying a stick where the small bat had perched as they walked away from the grass patch.
Source: Yiwen Nam on Facebook
“Thanks guys. Managed to put on a branch. I used the box to cover to keep it safe from the kittens,” the OP wrote.
In another comment, the OP responded to a netizen with the conclusion of their wildlife run-in: “Managed to put it on higher ground le.”
MS News has reached out to the OP for more information.
NParks advisory on handling bats
According to an advisory by NParks, the public should remain calm and leave bats alone if they are seen flying or feeding outdoors, as the wildlife will come and go on their own.
However, if a bat is found to be injured, distressed, or trapped, NParks advises passers-by to call their Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600.
NParks urges members of the public to refrain from handling the bats themselves.
The advisory states that bats may bite in self-defence, and direct handling could cause further stress or injury to the animal.
Also read: NParks officers rescue baby owl that fell from nest in Seletar, use crane to place it back on tree
NParks officers rescue baby owl that fell from nest in Seletar, use crane to place it back on tree
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Featured image adapted from Yiwen Nam on Facebook.
