Calgary bookstore bat saved by Alberta wildlife group
A tiny and cold bat discovered roosting outside a Calgary bookstore late last week is recovering just fine thanks to an Alberta wildlife group.
The brown bat is in the care of rehab staff at the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) near Madden, about 45 minutes drive north of Calgary.
"He'll be staying with us over the winter," said staff member Rachel Swart. "We'll release him in the spring so he stays in isolation for a couple more weeks here and then he can go join the other little brown bat we have in care since they're very communal."
The Little Brown Myotis bat was spotted sleeping on the door of The Next Page bookstore in Inglewood. Co-owner Jeremy Shannon spotted it while cleaning up the front entrance.
A small bat clings to the door of The Next Page bookstore in Calgary.
"Just out there sweeping and I was going to sweep up the door and then I saw a little fluffy creature on the door," said Shannon. "I didn't know what it was until I actually got close to it I found that it was a bat and it was just you know, maybe half the size my hand.
"It was tiny."
A picture on Twitter shows a hand-made sign attached to the business's door warning people to open it carefully "as there is a bat sleeping on it."
Shannon said it was quite a novelty for customers, who didn't seem too squeamish.
"They just kept walking in," said Shannon. "Everyone's walking by taking pictures and was just being so gentle with the door."
AIWC staff said the bat likely got lost and the cold weather isn't good for the tiny creature. This species typically finds a cave, attic or barn to sleep for the winter.
"Tree bats like the silver hair bats fly south," said Swart. "This little guy would be going to the hibernaculum and so since we don't know where that is, he's staying here for the winter because there's no more bugs out."
The bat will feast on mealworms throughout the winter, indoors at the facility while the rest of his friends sleep for the winter.
This time of year AIWC sees many injured migratory birds who are hurt on their journey south.
"We were getting a lot of hawks the past few weeks because of the migration," said Swart. "All the juveniles aren't the best fliers, hitting cars and houses on their way out but right now there tends to be a lot of magpies or sometimes we'll get skunks that are just kind of finding their way now too and they can be hit by cars."
The facility relies mainly on donations to feed and care for injured animals.
Learn more about AIWC here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.