Beaky Bat

This is a young male common pipistrelle bat, which was found on the end of someone's shoe in Surbiton. He is called 'Beaky'. In naming a bat, some of us follow a convention of using the road name where they were found - in this case Beaconsfield Road - to  remember the return location. Over years of bat care, naming assists in reminding us of those  difficult injuries, strange locations, and any sympathetic vets we may have found along the way.

Beaky at the top of the flight cage 

 

Beaky only weighed 3g on arrival and was  fed small amounts of mini-mealworms four times daily. He was soon self-feeding, and within ten days had doubled his body weight spending his time sitting in his food dish. 

Unfortunately his wings were stiff and he has never flown. He will do press-ups and wing stretches but not fly. He crawls to the top of his practice flight tent and goes to sleep. He has gone on holiday to Demian's house so that he can have some flight therapy.