Big Brown Bat Suffers When Hibernation Disturbed

The following story about a big brown bat was shared with us by Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

An adult, female big brown bat was admitted to our facility on February 1, 2024, after being found in the stairway of an office building in Warren, Pennsylvania. She was able to be transported to us by the founder of the volunteer-based organization Wildlife In Need. It assists with capture and transport of in-need wildlife to rehabilitation centers.

The big brown bat was in need of prompt care due to her state of emaciation and ectoparasite infestation. These indicated that she was disturbed from hibernation somehow and burned up her fat reserves.

After two days of receiving EmerAid IC Carnivore, she was able to transition to a diet of mealworms. She regained her fat stores over the course of the next few months.

The big brown bat was able to be released into an established colony of big brown bats with her cage mate (pictured) on May 16, 2024.