This morning I found a surprise in our spare bedroom - an actual, real live bat hanging in the corner of a window-frame. I had to do a double-take at this, because I actually have a lot of fake bats hanging around the house. (Really, I do. Y'all know how fond I am of bats.) When it flicked its ear at me, I knew it was not a practical joke from my beloved husband, who occasionally moves my bats around.
I felt really sorry for the bat (and still do - he or she is still up there), and immediately removed the sleeping cat from the room and shut the doors. We opened the window and the screen to let it get out, but it's still hanging out there. It was full daylight when I discovered it, and bats do not like to fly during the day, so said beloved and I agreed to keep the doors closed and window open all day, turn on the light at night and hope the bat leaves of its own accord.
I KNOW this doesn't have anything to do with letter-writing, but you loyal readers know how much I love bats, and often post photos of drawings of them and various bat stationery, so I just had to share this odd story. I have friends who complain all the time about having bats in their apartment (and they usually freak out and swat at them with brooms or -- *shudder* -- tennis rackets), and it's never happened to me, until today. Best guess is that it came through the fireplace in the room next door, and somehow flapped around into that spare bedroom and couldn't figure out how to get out. We haven't disturbed it so don't know if it's wounded, but it doesn't appear to be. Biggest fear is that it was bothered by our cats. Of course we worry about rabies, but it doesn't appear to be rabid and is so far exhibiting completely normal bat behavior - i.e. sleeping and remaining still during the day. I am rather excited to see what happens at dusk, though - I would really love to watch it fly out the window.
Of course I took a million photos - most without flash because I didn't want to bother it.
Here is the whole set of photos if you want to have a look.
And read all kinds of cool bat facts at Bat Conservation International (BCI). Lucky little bat, to have stumbled into the home of a passionate BCI member. :-)
