Texas bats impacted by arctic blast still being rehabilitated after nearly 1,000 killed
Previously cold-stunned bats continued to fall even after the weather warmed. "They tried to fly. They found their wings were damaged from the freeze, and they fell to the ground and flopped around, and so we recovered them," said the Austin Bat Rescue.
12,000 injured bats rescued after Texas arctic blast - hundreds still recovering
The arctic blast earlier this month was devastating to Austin, Texas' bat population. In the cold, many fell from their roosts to their death. The Austin Bat Rescue recovered those that were still alive and volunteers are nursing them back to health. FOX 7 Austin reporter Tan Radford has an update.
AUSTIN, Texas – After more than 1,000 bats were frozen to death or injured by this month's arctic blast, the Austin Bat Refuge is now rehabbing the surviving bats.
"When we first talked to you, only 400 or so were in, and far more fell from the bridges since that time," said Austin Bat Refuge manager Lee Mackenzie.
Frigid temperatures in the middle of January turned deadly for the bat population across central Texas, with hundreds falling to their death from their roosts or suffering injuries.
MORE THAN 2,000 BELOVED BRIDGE BATS RESCUED FROM FREEZING TEMPERATURES IN HOUSTON TEXAS
Thousands of bats were cold stunned and fell from Austin bridges during the cold snap.
(FOX 7 Austin)
COLD-STUNNED IGUANAS LITTER FLORIDA YARD
The Austin Bat Refuge says even in the days after, as temperatures warmed up, bats were still falling.
"They tried to fly. They found their wings were damaged from the freeze, and they fell to the ground and flopped around, and so we recovered them," Mackenzie said.
The non-profit says that out of nearly 12,000 bats recovered, there were close to 900 that did not survive.
"It is just devastating," Mackenzie said. "We hate to see that, but we would hate it even more if nobody did anything to help them."
HOUSTON'S BRIDGE BATS TOOK A HIT DURING THE 2021 TEXAS FREEZE. HERE'S WHERE THEY STAND
The Austin Bat Rescue took in bats that survived the cold-stunned fall and are slowly nursing them back to health.
(FOX 7 Austin)
BATS ACT AS ‘FLYING METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS’ DETECTING URBAN HEAT ISLAND, STUDY SHOWS
There were three different species of bats brought in, and dozens are still in rehabilitation, according to the refuge manager.
"A bat that wants to fly away will arch it's back and look up and feel confident and stretch its wings and start flapping, and we can release them," Mackenzie said. "This bat is not doing that."
He says the bats are being hydrated with electrolytes placed on a blended mealworm diet during the rehabilitation process. They are continuing to be monitored, like the nearly 300 bats that were released last week.
Cold-stunned bats fall from roosts during Texas arctic blast
Freezing temperatures are proving deadly to many bats across Austin, Texas. Many have fallen to their deaths while the Austin Bat Rescue recovered the survivors. A vast majority of the rescued have not made it. FOX 7 Austin Tan Radford reports.
"We offered all the bats that survived the freeze a chance to fly free," Mackenzie said. "Most of them took advantage of the opportunity; we were thrilled to see them fly away."