For the second time in a couple of weeks, a bat flew into my living room in the early hours of this morning...
Unlike the last bat who I manage to trap in the bathroom and open the window so it could escape, this poor thing was going crazy zooming around the living room ignoring the open windows..
I tried swiping a newspaper at it in an effort to direct it out, but all I did was hit the poor mite, stunning it and making it crash land.. Took a few pics before releasing him back into the wild..
Not sure wha type it is, but it's probably a Common Pipistrelle as that's the most popular... But I will send a pic into these people http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/uk_bats.html
Poor baby - glad you managed to get him out, odd that you've had a couple of them, maybe they're roosting nearby. Do be careful, they can nip and, very rarely, can carry a rabies-like virus. You're advised to gather them up loosely in a large towel or use a shoebox to contain them.
@boxplayer yeah, I am beginnng to think they are roosting somewhere close... And also wondered about a virus when he was nipping me... or trying to.. so I quickly let him go and thoroughly washed my hands :-)
fabulous capture! that little foot is something to behold... about what @boxplayer said... DO be careful... the thing is, while it is rare that they carry rabies, unless they are tested you won;t know for sure... and if you are bitten, you will be put thru the course of treatment just in case... and i have heard from those who've been thru it that it is not pleasant!
Do check with a doctor though. We just discovered a colony living in our new house 4 days after moving in. We all had to get rabies shots, our 6 month old had funny marks after one was flying around our heads. Some of the bacteria in guano can kill small children we learned. And although rare, rabies is 100% fatal in humans and hand washing won't help. :) there is a 3-6 week incubation period and then you just die. Sorry for the downer comment! The photo is amazing but rabies not so much!
@misterkitty Hi, thanks for your concerns and advice :-)... But thankfully the UK is rabies free and although he tried to nibble me, he didn't break skin... Still, if you I disappear off here in a few weeks time, you'll know what's happened to me :-)
He appears a bit angry with you taking his picture, brave man, I had one in my house a few years ago, talk about a fish out of water, it was not fun, but I finally got him out.
@andycoleborn Good to know! Where I live rabies is alive and well, unfortunately. If you get "flu like symptoms" in a few weeks, call your lawyer first, then the doctor! :)
Do check with a doctor though. We just discovered a colony living in our new house 4 days after moving in. We all had to get rabies shots, our 6 month old had funny marks after one was flying around our heads. Some of the bacteria in guano can kill small children we learned. And although rare, rabies is 100% fatal in humans and hand washing won't help. :) there is a 3-6 week incubation period and then you just die. Sorry for the downer comment! The photo is amazing but rabies not so much!