31/05/2026
Pup season is here! Please, be careful when sweeping away lawn litter, mowing your yard, w**d eating, etc. A single bat pup can weigh 20-30% of his mother's weight. Species like red bats commonly have 2 or 3 pups, making flight difficult. It's easy for these moms to become grounded - trying to evade predators is a very common reason. It's easy to mistake these tiny souls and their precious cargo as leaf or other ground litter, so please take extra care to watch for this keystone species in your outdoor activities. ✌🏼💜🦇
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I WASN’T A DEAD LEAF ON YOUR PORCH.
MY BABY WAS STILL CLINGING TO ME.
You found me under the porch light.
Small.
Brown.
Folded.
Still as a curled leaf after wind.
Maybe you thought I was dead.
Maybe you thought I was a mouse.
Maybe you wanted to sweep me away before the cat noticed.
But look closer.
There is a tiny body pressed against my chest.
Tiny claws locked into my fur.
A face smaller than your thumb.
A baby who cannot fly, cannot hunt, cannot understand why the sky suddenly fell.
I am a mother bat.
Not every bat lives in an attic.
Some of us roost in trees, tucked among leaves, trusting bark, branches, and darkness.
But storms shake branches.
Heat drains bodies.
Tree trimming breaks roosts.
And sometimes a mother falls with her baby still holding on.
Please do not touch us with bare hands.
Do not pull my baby away from me.
Do not throw me into the air.
Do not give us water or food.
Keep cats, dogs, and children away.
Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or bat rehabilitator immediately.
If we are in danger and you are told to contain us, use thick gloves or a towel.
Place us gently in a ventilated box with soft cloth.
Keep the box dark, quiet, warm, and secure.
If anyone touched us bare-handed, or if a pet had contact, call animal control or your local health department before release.
Because I was not a dead leaf.
I was a mother on the ground,
trying to keep one tiny life
attached to mine.
Bat rescue guidance in the U.S. consistently warns not to handle bats with bare hands, not to feed or water injured bats, and to contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or bat specialist. Nebraska Wildlife Rehab also gives specific guidance for a mother bat with babies attached: avoid bare-hand contact, keep them protected, and get rehab guidance; if she is not injured, a trained/safe rehang may be possible using a branch, but if she remains grounded or the baby is alone, they need rehabilitation help.
