About the passions of the people of the University. My love is bats
Recently in Oława, I secured 10 pregnant female soprano pipistrelle – reports Dorota Stępniak. – These tiny mammals are now trying to find new places for breeding colonies and unfortunately it happens that they fall into traps.
Today we will talk about the passion of Dorota Stępniak, who works at the University of Wrocław Press. She certainly loves her job and her books, but above all she loves helping bats.
And she says this about them: – They make eye contact, they are able to unerringly guess our emotions. They are intelligent. What is also unusual about them is that they have distinctly different characters and personalities, and this within the same species. There are sensitive, shy individuals, hiding their eyes with their wings, there are also extroverts who express their opinions about us clearly and briefly, there are screamers and bats that tolerate our care with dignity and indulgence.
They do not get caught up in your hair, they do not attack, they do not pose any danger to you or your pets. In the event of an encounter with them, it is important to remain calm.
If we come across a bat in an unnatural place for it, e.g. on the pavement, hanging out in a public place during the day – it should be secured, emphasises Ms Dorota. – This is done non-contact, exactly as you would do with any wild and unfamiliar animal. You can use thick gloves, a canvas bag or a paper coffee cup for this purpose.
A cardboard box is best, tightly closed but perforated to allow the animal an air supply. Keep in mind that bats are masters of escape.
This season there was a case of a bat secured very sketchily, which escaped and burrowed under the floorboards inside the vehicle, says a volunteer. – This story ended well, but a lot of time and resources were spent locating and extracting the animal.
The most important rule of thumb is to protect the bat already at the time of the encounter, any distance from the animal could end up with it being snatched by predators, including birds.
It is very common to report animals lying directly on the ground, on the pavement. Animals should not be touched with bare hands. – They are predators, armed with small but extremely sharp teeth, and any bite must result in a vaccination against rabies, as with all unknown or wild animals – warns Ms Dorota.
Worth knowing. Of the twenty-seven species of bats in Poland, rabies has been confirmed in only three, and of the examined animals suspected of having the disease, less than 5 per cent were infected with the rabies virus. It is therefore estimated that less than 1 per cent of the entire population has been in contact with the rabies virus (source: Prof Tomasz Dzieciątkowski, virologist at the Medical University of Warsaw).
Once secured, the animal should be handed over immediately to a bat rehabilitation centre or someone qualified to help – such as Ms Dorota, who recommends contacting the National Society for Bat Protection. But she reminds: – The Law on the Protection of Animals is paramount and, although they are protected species, in a situation of imminent danger to the life or health of an animal, everyone should provide assistance.
In addition to storing the animal until the specialist takes over, you can give water, hang a paper towel inside the box so that the bat can hang freely. It is also a good idea to be prepared to give information to the person taking the call and intervening. Look to see if there are any traces of blood, provide information on how long the animal has needed help, whether it has had contact with a cat, etc. Remember that sometimes a phone call and following the instructions given by the specialist is enough.
My interest in bats began, of course, with an encounter with a bat, injured after a clash with a magpie – says Dorota. – Ravens are clever and intelligent birds capable of finding a bat sleeping during the day, which often finds itself in a torpor, unable to defend itself or escape.
Torpor is a state that, in a nutshell, can be described as extremely deep sleep aimed at conserving energy. Bats need a lot of energy to stay active and be able to make the most of their extraordinary flight capabilities. Many species fly at speeds of several tens of kilometres per hour, moving their wings independently of each other, in different directions and at variable rates.
My first encounter with a bat was a big boa constrictor, the species most commonly found in Wrocław – she says. – A clash with a magpie resulted in a fractured mandible and tusk, which resulted in several months of treatment. The mandible was fused, stabilised and the treatment was successful. Doctor Grzegorz Dziwak undertook an innovative procedure and flawlessly diagnosed a case that was not typical. I coordinated the treatment process and thanks to this I came into contact with such an unusual animal, so rarely seen by us. I was surprised by the extremely high intelligence and ease with which these animals make contact – she admits.
Bats, contrary to persistent myths, are not blind, although their eyesight is relatively poor in relation to other animal species. They make eye contact and are able to unerringly guess our emotions.
As a registered and vaccinated volunteer, she undertakes the activities of securing individual animals from various interventions. Each season has a similar pattern during which activities are undertaken. In winter, bats awaken from hibernation, most often as a result of excessively high temperatures, as well as fortuitous phenomena such as repairs to window frames and other places where they like to roost for the winter.
The most interesting case?
It’s hard to say – wonders Ms Dorota. – These animals are so passionate and amazing that they constantly surprise us with their behaviour. Many of their social behaviours can match those of humans. Cases of altruism have been confirmed among bats, most typically in vampire bats, which are not found here. – However, I am convinced that I have also encountered this phenomenon more than once in our domestic, insectivorous species.
Once a young female cockatiel came into her care. It was not yet an independent animal. Due to its really small size (a baby cockatiel weighs about 3 g), feeding this tiny mammal was not the easiest thing to do. Bats are sensitive, social and intelligent animals and, as such, can refuse food under stress. It was a case of this baby being taken care of by an older bat of a different species. A female Red-tailed Nightjar, named Marsi, found mutilated and legless, was given the chance to survive and learn to fly without a hind limb and temporarily stayed with humans. As a representative of a long-lived species, she was an exceptional example of life wisdom, intelligence and indomitable character. She took over the care of a shy puppy and, communicating with it in familiar ways, persuaded the weaker animal to eat on its own. For the first few days, she waited patiently for her turn, leaving priority to the smaller dwarf than her. – After a week, they were already fighting over the insects – she says. – It can be added that, despite their small size, dwarfs are creatures of great fortitude and courage.
Bats can communicate perfectly well with each other, great borers speak to each other in full sentences like dolphins, which has been scientifically confirmed. Chinese researchers have even confirmed the existence of vocal dialects characteristic of different colonies using the example of the armoured platypus. Danish researcher Ella Z. Lattenkamp has shown that bats can learn sounds, make and modify them in a conscious manner correlated with the desire to achieve goals.
They deserve our help and respect, especially for their hard work every night – argues Ms Dorota. – They are able to consume very large quantities of insects such as mosquitoes and other pests that destroy our agricultural or forest crops while hunting. They are discreet allies living constantly in our neighbourhood and environment.
Bats have become a favourite of mine precisely because of their uniqueness – she says. – By becoming a much-needed link in the field of animal intervention work, I can develop my passion for learning about this order of animals.
Cities are home to up to a dozen bat species. In the case of Wrocław, we can speak of 16. We don’t see them very often and are sometimes not fully aware of what is flying past us in the park.
We don’t seem to come into contact with them on a daily basis. – Myths about vampires can also be heard now. Although of the 1,400 species of bats living in the world, only three feed on the blood of mammals – says our volunteer. – Bats do not attack, they are not dangerous or threatening.
In spring and summer, increased bat activity can be observed due to migration – the migration to the breeding colonies. Bats give birth to their young once a year, usually just one pup. They may settle behind gutters and in nooks and crannies of buildings. They can also fly in a whole bunch into a stairwell or building. – There is no need to be afraid, just ensure that they are free to fly out – the instructions read.
Dorota is a volunteer at the Polish Society for Nature Protection Salamandra. – I am constantly expanding my knowledge thanks to the patience of dr Iwona Gottfried, a biologist from the University of Wrocław – she smiles. – Dr Gottfried has been educating the youngest and adults for many years by organising meetings with bats, as well as patiently supporting and educating volunteers helping to protect individual animals, and is the winner of the prestigious ‘Heart for Animals’ award from the city of Wrocław in 2022 for her many years of work on behalf of Wrocław’s bat population – she emphasises.
Dorota also receives consultation and educational materials from dr Anna Bator-Kocoł from the University of Zielona Góra and chiropterologists from all over Poland. She receives invaluable help from Barbara Górecka from Szczecin, president of the only bat foundation in Poland, Batmom, as well as dr Andrzej Kepel from PTOP Salamandra, who is happy to provide help and advice also on the legal side.
It is remarkable how the love of these small mammals can bring people together in a common passion and action. – We have the same goals, my job is to help, admittedly on a micro scale, but I also try to develop as much as possible. Thanks to dr Iwona Gottfried, I took part in the winter bat count. For me, coming into contact with species I have no contact with as a Wrocław volunteer and seeing the animals in their natural habitat is an amazing experience – she adds.
What does volunteering involve? – Mostly it is getting to and securing individual animals and transporting them to specialised veterinary surgeries, providing first aid and educating about the phenomena we are dealing with – Dorota enumerates. – At meetings with bats organised in the Wroclaw Czasopospace, by Ekostraż and in agreement with the State Forests, I talk about animals trapped in traps through ignorance and omission. Glue traps for flies or gutters that are not secured from above can become the cause of death or disability for many animal species, including bats. These are risks that we can exclude or negate by properly securing gutters and abandoning the use of sticky traps.
One can talk endlessly about Ms Dorota’s bats. – But you can try it in one word – they are extraordinary – she adds.
Also read about the passions of people at the University:
On the passions of university people. Singing soloist
University people’s interests. Music in my heart
The most beautiful places in the world and the University of Wrocław
Complied by Katarzyna Górowicz-Maćkiewicz
