Bats are on the move across Alberta as they head to their hibernation site or migrate away from the province for the winter but one little brown bat overslept and will now be spending the winter being cared for by an animal rescue centre northwest of Airdrie.

The small, nocturnal creature was recently rescued after being found roosting on the door of a Calgary bookstore called 'The Next Page', perhaps because he was tired from searching for 'bat-snacks' or maybe to get some relief from the recent cool snap each time the store's door opened.  The owner says, at first, customers didn't even notice the bat roosting there but finally did and took action, calling the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) in Madden.  A volunteer was dispatched to rescue the bat as he was too cold to fly or even move. 

They brought him back to the organization’s wildlife hospital for assessment.  After being examined by AIWC staff the bat was found to be in good health.  However, the cooler temperatures, a lack of food for him at this time of year, and not knowing where his hibernaculum is, which is a big word for a place to overwinter, he will spend his winter at AIWC and be returned to the wild in the spring.

AIWC says it's thanks to The Next Page that this little brown bat was rescued and got the help he needed.  The kind of help that the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation has been giving since being founded in 1999.  AIWC has been a champion for the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife.  The organization is accredited through the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association and serves the needs of Alberta’s diverse wildlife in Calgary and southern Alberta.

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