A woman in Sussex received a fright when she discovered a large bat floating in her toilet bowl. The animal, later nicknamed Louis, had entered the home through an open window.
Bats sometimes enter houses while searching for water during hot conditions, according to experts. The weak and dehydrated bat was rescued from the bathroom using a garden trowel and then dried off.
Rescue and Care
The Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Bluesky channel directed the woman to expert advice, and she contacted volunteers at the Sussex Bat Group for help. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I’ve learnt so much about bats from this wonderful encounter, including that so many are dehydrated and that the biggest single cause of injury is cats.”
She added: “And that they can find refuge in the tiniest gaps under hung tiles and in other nooks and crannies on older buildings.”
Identification and Recovery
Louis was taken into the care of Sussex Bat Hospital’s Amanda Millar, who identified him as a Serotine bat, one of the UK’s larger bat species. Although thin and exhausted, a week of rest and a diet of mealworms restored him to full health. He was then ready for a test flight, proving he was fit to return home.
Release
At dusk, Louis was driven back to the back garden of the woman who found him and released. He flew off into the night, with a bat later spotted flitting across the sky, possibly Louis finding his way home.
