Who you gonna call? BAT-RESCUE!

We’re still a while away from Hallowe’en, but at least one little Dracula has been returned to safety, after a team-rescue in Fermoy earlier this month.

Locals Siún and Dara O’Connor found a brown long-eared bat by the window of the former Kerin’s Bar premises in the square in Fermoy, unable to fly and struggling, so Mum ‘swooped in’ to the rescue.

“The girls saw the bat by the window, so I went into Vodafone to ask them for a box, and a guy there, Mark, had a background in Zoology so he came out and helped us. He put on gloves, and we popped him into the box. Then we called Susan Kirwan in the Bat Rehabilitation Centre. We drove as far as Galbally, and met Susan there and she took the bat to care for it.”

The Bat Rehabilitation Centre is based in Bruree, Co. Limerick. It is a not-for-profit bat hospital, that works to treat and rehabilitate injured bats around the country, from injuries from cats and other animals, as well as orphaned bats.

In Ireland, bats are a protected species, and contrary to popular belief, do not suck your blood or get caught in your hair! The nine resident species of bat in Ireland, however, are all insectivorous - they eat mosquitoes, midges, greenfly and other insects.

SUCCESSFUL RELEASE

The rescued Fermoy bat stayed in Bruree for two weeks, where he received antibiotics and treatment for an injured wing. He was returned to the family, who then released him back home to Fermoy. The lady who found the bat originally, then returned him to where he came from.

“We released him where we found him - we went around the corner from the square, across from Baylor’s Music Shop, and released him just as it was getting dark. He was kinda shy when we opened the box, and he was nervous, but my husband picked him up and he flew off.

“We followed him around the corner and we could see him flying off with another bat, so there must be a few around!”

Not all heroes wear capes!