Bat care and rehabilitation
The Manx Bat Group volunteers care for any bats that are found injured or grounded on the Island. Bats are sometimes found when building work is undertaken and are frequently the victims of cat activity! Bat Group carers are quite successful at nursing adult bats back to health and sending them back out into the wild.
The care of injured bats in order to release them does not require a licence on the Isle of Man, but it is a specialised activity. Advice and training is available within the Group.
Bat carers usually feed bats with mealworms. A handful of mealworms provides a handy alternative to the nearly 3000 midges they can eat in one night! Luckily many bats recover and can be released back where they were found.
If you are caring for a grounded or injured bat, please record details on our bat care form and then send your completed form to our Recorder.
Becoming a bat carer
Handling bats and advising on bat issues is a specialised activity undertaken by trained bat workers, licensed by DEFA (Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture). Licensees can take bats at roosts in order to identify and release them, deal with bat issues, advise developers and home owners, and handle bats in a safe and caring manner without risk to the bats or the handler.
The Bat Workers’ Manual provides the necessary information for training. If you are interested in becoming a bat worker then please ask about the training and mentoring that is available.