Whisper of Hope Bats

08/07/2025

“Toes and t***y” Tuesday.

This is a baby Free-tailed bat we have in care and it’s easy to see why they are called “free-tailed” as all of our other species of bat have tails that are attached/within the skin (patagium) between their legs. Enjoy this currently hairless t***y and hairy toes. As she continues to grow, her body hair will catch up with her toe hair and will be plush and velvety .

30/05/2025

Here’s a little bat b***y for your Friday.

And now that I have your attention, let me have it for at least another minute.

We are entering the peak of bat baby season, please be patient with us.

PLEASE help us find transport as the more babies we have means the less time we have to be on the roads. Some babies have to be fed every two hours, without fail. If you can’t transport, ask on your page, please don’t be ashamed of loving animals and ask your friends for help.

Please respond to our messages promptly so we can give attention where it is needed- feeding, cleaning, transporting, coordinating with other rehabbers.

Finally, if you find a mom with babies- secure them all in a box, with a t-shirt or paper towels (not bath towels), make small air holes (pencil sized), put it somewhere warm and quiet and then call us. Don’t let mom get stressed and fly away from her babies-bat babies raised by mom have the best chance. Use gloves and a t-shirt or towel to collect them to protect yourself, be quick and be prepared with your box to limit contact for you and less stress for the mama bat.

Please share if you love bats.

(P.S. Don’t handle bats with bare hands, our rehabbers are rabies vaccinated)

07/05/2025

None of the behavior listed here is a definitive indication of rabies in bats. 1% of bats tested for rabies are positive.

Don’t handle bats with bare hands-ever.

Contact a wildlife rehabber (us) if you come across a downed bat.

Bat baby season is about to kick into high gear and many bats will be found in odd places and not because of rabies. Please contact us and let us help any bats you find, we are rabies vaccinated and fully prepared for any bat emergency.

Also, keep your pets up to date on their vaccines for everyone’s health!!!

The Mississippi Board of Animal Health has announced that a bat tested positive for rabies in Tippah County. Two puppies had potential exposure, and have been quarantined per state regulation.

08/03/2025

Spring baby season is off to a roaring start! Please be patient with wildlife rehabilitators when you call for help, and follow these basic guidelines to ensure the best possible outcome:

1. Please do not handle any wild animal barehanded. This includes allowing curious children and pets to touch, hold, etc. Keep everybody safe - Never Barehanded!
2. Please do not attempt to feed the animal or give anything to drink. Wild animals have very specific diets, and babies need formulas that are specific to their species. Kitten and puppy milk replacer, cow's milk, goat's milk, and vegan milks are not good substitutes for the formulas we use, and can cause a wide variety of problems.
3. Follow instructions to safely contain the animal. Boxes or pet carriers will work in most cases. We recommend no holes, open ends, etc larger than 1/4". This allows adequate ventilation while preventing escape. Once the animal is secured, put it in a dark, quiet place while you make arrangements with the rehabber.
4. If at all possible, transport the animal to the rehabber. We are busy feeding and tending to the animals already in our care, so going out to pick up animals means someone isn't getting the care they need.
5. Wildlife rehabilitation is a volunteer activity. We receive no local, state, or federal funding for the work we do. Please consider offering a donation to support the animal you are turning over to rehab.

For the love of them....thank you!

23/02/2025

Hey everyone - busy season is just around the corner. All wildlife rescues are volunteer based with many volunteers working regular jobs. Getting bats to us is a big hurdle especially during baby season when we are feeding many babies every 3-4 hours.

Bat World Sanctuary has created a volunteer transport map for everyone. The folks on this list are those who have volunteered to pick up a safely contained bat from the finder and transport the bat to a rehabber. The transporters do not handle the bat, they only drive the bat to us.

So far over a thousand wonderful folks across the U.S. have signed up to be a volunteer transporter. This is where YOU come in. To get help in our area, we are sharing the sign-up sheet linked below so we can get areas covered near our rescue. This will be an immense help to us come baby season as we are the only South Mississippi rescue with experience with infant bats and have all the necessary formulas and equipment available.

Here's the sign up sheet to share: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2x5TqmCuq5Oufc9uy0_7kBm84Q7ZREImnZc-3DWktZBGsyQ/viewform

19/02/2025

Please don’t use sticky/glue traps, if you do find a bat on one, don’t attempt to remove it yourself. Cover the sticky parts with paper towel, put the bat somewhere warm, secure and quiet, then call us.

12/02/2025

Whew it is cold outside! 🦇❄️

Please keep your eyes out for grounded bats this winter. Bats found this time of year may have woken from hibernation, and will be in danger if released without the guidance of a bat rehabilitator. Call (940) 325-3404 if you have found a bat and need help locating a rescuer near you.

12/02/2025

07/02/2025

A Thursday smile, happy almost-TGIF.