Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a middle school student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big brown bats that used the outside of her former home for a winter roost. Her family cheerfully hosted the wild colony for years.
Hi everyone! As you all know, we got a HUGE snowstorm here in Virginia. I got more than 26 inches of snow at my house! They cancelled school all week! It was awesome! Of course, while I was out enjoying the snow, some of the animals that call the outdoors their home were not quite as thrilled. One little animal in particular was quite miserable.
This little animal is a Hoary bat. She had been hanging on a wall for a few days and then got snowed on. This made her a very pitiful little bat. Since she appeared to be in distress, the wonderful people at Save Lucy had to rescue her, despite the weather. Mrs. Sturges (Save Lucy’s president and founder and my very wonderful editor) went out in the storm and Mr. Sturges drove in some very dangerous conditions to get to the little bat. When they finally made it back to Save Lucy headquarters, it was discovered that the little bat was underweight and dehydrated. She probably would not have survived the storm without help, so I’d like to say a big thank you to the person who found her and called Save Lucy! And a big thank you to Mrs. Sturges for risking her life to save our newest little friend!
Our new friend is now named “Blizzard” and is doing quite well. She loves to drink water and has developed a liking for mealworms. She has even taught herself to eat mealworms on her own without having to be fed each individual worm by hand. Of course, she has a quirky, batty personality, so she only eats if the food dish is placed right under her nose. I hope she feels better soon and will be able to fly free when the weather gets warmer.