RESOURCES FOR BAT REHABILITATORS 
 
 

INSECTIVOROUS BAT REHABILITATION

 

An orphaned free-tail laying on her side, 
clutching the foam tip from which she is nursing.
Overview on Wildlife Rehabilitation

The desire to become a wildlife rehabilitator often stems from a basic instinct to care for the helpless. Rehabilitators do not get paid for the time, food, housing or medical supplies they have provided to help wild animals in need. The greatest reward any rehabilitator has is watching a wild animal go free, knowing they helped make it possible. Every year hundreds of thousands of wild animals in the US are helped either directly or indirectly by wildlife rehabilitators. To date there are about 5000 wildlife rehabilitators across the states. Of these, about 200 are bat rehabilitators.

The first step to take in order to become a wildlife rehabilitator is to contact your state Department of Natural Resources to obtain a permit. Regulations regarding the rehabilitation and captive care of indigenous wildlife varies significantly from state to state. Pre-exposure rabies vaccinations are often required in order to rehabilitate rabies vector species such as skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and bats.
Vaccinations
Bats, like most mammals, are susceptible to the rabies virus (although they are not generally considered to be asymptomatic carriers of the disease). All rehabilitators considering the captive care of bats should receive pre-exposure rabies vaccinations by a personal physician. Although relatively painless, these vaccinations can be costly.  The pre-exposure vaccine consists of three separate injections given over a period of four weeks. For this reason, it is imperative that the first dosage be administered approximately one month prior to contact with wild animals. The shots are administered directly into the arm and are relatively painless. It is important for bat rehabilitators to have their rabies titer checked annually. This is a measure of the level of rabies antibodies in your blood. If it drops below an acceptable level, a booster vaccination may be recommended.
Learning to Rehabilitate Bats 
Bat World Boot Camp involves five days of intensive, hands-on training in bat rehabilitation. The workshop is held at Bat World Sanctuary, located in Mineral Wells, about 90 miles west of Dallas, TX.  

Bat World Boot Camp includes:

Daily rescues of injured and orphaned bats from our wild 
sanctuary, as well as bats found by the public. 

 

Hands-on instruction in a facility designed for insectivorous bat rehabilitation.

 

 
 
   Tuition: $650.00
   Includes the book Captive Care and Medical Reference for the Rehabilitation of Insectivorous Bats.
 
2008 schedule:   July 21st through July 25th - Limited to 8 people - 3 spots remaining
July 28th through  Aug. 1st - Limited to 8 people - Full
 
   Deadline for registration: June 15th, 2008.
 
   Requirements:
   Proof of pre-exposure immunization and a signed waiver sent with payment. Scholarships are available.
   Must be 18 years of age or older to attend
 
How to register:
Make a payment or apply for a scholarship through the links below. We also require a copy of your rabies titer and a signed waiver. If you are in the process of getting your pre-exposure inoculations or rabies booster, you may may send your proof of titer in at a later date. If this is the case please note on your payment form that your titer information is forthcoming. You are welcome to scan your proof of titer and the waiver and e-mail these items to us at the address above, or send them by mail to:
Bat World Sanctuary
217 N. Oak Avenue
Mineral Wells, TX 76067
Registrants will receive an initial confirmation of payment by e-mail, followed by a confirmation letter and information booklet by regular mail. Booklets include driving directions, hotel/motel information and the workshop itinerary.
 

                         Download Waiver & Make Payment 

 l    Download Scholarship Application
 

Please also read our statement on Academic Integrity.

 
 
 
Please note: We are a all volunteer organization. Fees paid for our workshops go to maintain the sanctuaries and to buy food and medical supplies for the bats in our care. Bat World Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Workshop fees are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Sample Day:
Morning schedule: Check the Wild Sanctuary for possible rescue of orphaned and injured bats, feed juvenile bats in the prerelease flight cage, care and feeding of orphaned and injured bats in rehab, hand-feed bats in the non-releasable colony, cage cleaning and routine maintenance and cleaning of the Bat World facility and the wild sanctuary.

Afternoon schedule: Class - lessons on Public protocol, basics of examination; practicing injection techniques on dead specimens; surgical treatments; clinical signs of rabies; pesticide poisoning; microscopic examination of parasites; teaching juvenile bats to eat live insects; reintroducing natural habitat to orphaned bats; dental problems; nutrition; quality of life issues and euthanasia. 

Evening schedule - Prepare food and feed the fruit bats, feed juvenile bats in the wild sanctuary pre-release flight cage, care and feeding of orphaned and injured bats in rehab, hand-feed bats in the non-releasable colony.

Note to those with special allergies: 
Small dogs are present during the workshop.

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