Young Bat Released After Being Found Injured In Bucket In Gozo

A female juvenile Savi’s Pipistrelle bat was found trapped in a bucket last week in Victoria.

It was exhausted and unable to maintain flight on her own, until it was brought into the care of Nature Trust Malta.

After a short stay for rehabilitation, the bat regained her strength and was successfully released back into the wild this week.

‘Recently, articles about a tragic rabies-related death in Canada have been widely shared on local social media, leading to understandable concern about bats. We’d like to reassure everyone that there is no known local transmission of rabies in Malta and there is no need to fear our local bat species.’

‘Bats play a vital role in our ecosystem by helping to control insect populations naturally. If you ever find a bat that appears injured, exhausted or unable to fly, please contact the Wildlife Rescue Team rather than attempting to care for it yourself.’

All these animals are protected species and it is illegal to keep them as pets in Malta.

‘If you spot any of the wild animals that we rescue injured or in danger, please call the Wildlife Rescue Team Malta on 99999505.’

#MaltaDaily