A serotine bat covered with waste oil all over whole body, Released after a month of treatment (Video)

A bat that had been rescued with its body contaminated by oil was successfully rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

On the 24th, the Chungnam Wildlife Rescue Center announced that a serotine bat, which had been found with its entire body contaminated by a substance suspected to be engine oil waste, was released after a month of treatment.

The Chungnam Wildlife Rescue Center stated "Through a total of three rounds of oil removal processes, along with sufficient nutrition and rest, the bat was able to regain its original sleek fur and return to the wild. Many waste materials generated from our daily lives are posing threats to the lives of wild animals through various pathways." 

The photos posted on the center's official social media account depicted the process of the serotine bat, whose body had turned dark due to waste oil, gradually recovering through treatment. At the time of the rescue, the bat had its entire body and fur soaked in black oil, but on the day of release, it had regained its strength and appeared with sleek brown fur.

This serotine bat was found on the 26th of last month in an unpaved parking lot in Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, where construction equipment was parked. At that time, the serotine bat was in a state where it couldn't fly, as its fur and patagium were stuck with sticky, black oil. Based on the situation, it is presumed that the engine oil waste from nearby construction equipment became attached to its body while flying.

The medical examination revealed that there was subcutaneous bleeding in the left elbow joint and femur(thigh bone), and a fracture of the left shinbone (tibia). On the 25th, the Chungnam Wildlife Rescue Center stated to News Penguin, "After the first oil cleaning, we provided a narrow enclosure regretfully to minimize movement. We administered pain-relief and anti-inflammatory medication to alleviate pain and undertook a four-week treatment process."

In the early stages of treatment, there were difficulties such as the bat licking and biting at the contaminated parts remaining on its body, resulting in fur loss and holes in its patagium (the membrane between the front and hind legs of gliding or flying vertebrates). However, as the fractured part healed and the perforated patagium adhered, the bat returned safely to its original state, as explained by the center.

According to Kim Ri-hyun, a rehabilitation manager at the Chungnam Wildlife Rescue Center, incidents where wildlife is rescued with unidentifiable oil or liquids on them occur 2 to 4 times per year. In December of last year, there was an incident where a partially contaminated white wagtail was rescued with waterproof paint on its body. However, the bird passed away the following day.

In the case of birds that have evolved to be lightweight for flight, if they come into contact with liquids like oil, their feathers can become heavier, it may be impossible to fly at all. When the body covered in fur gets wet, it can stiffen, leading to limitations in movement.

Rehabilitation manager Kim Ri-hyun stated "To minimize such damages, it is most important not to throw waste oil and liquids used in daily life anywhere."

She said "If one is not aware of the ecological and anatomical characteristics of the species in need, well-intentioned actions an cause a lot of damage to the victim." She further emphasized "If you find an individual that has been contaminated by something, please place it in a small box to prevent further spreading of contaminants and contact the local wildlife rescue center in that area."