Help! Please Report Sick or Dead Bats in British Columbia
Help!
Please report sick or dead bats in british columbia
Data collection and analysis are essential components of effective species protection policies. Scientists are asking for the public’s help in gathering information so that the increase in bat mortality can be better understood.
If you find a dead or dying bat, please take photos and videos and complete the form below. If possible, dead bats should be collected and stored in a freezer to preserve tissue for testing. DTA will respond as soon as possible to provide guidance on submission to the appropriate entity if applicable.
Please note: Bats should never be handled with bare skin. Gloves or the use of a plastic bag are recommended. If a person or domestic animal has been exposed to a bite, scratch or saliva from a dead or live bat, call your local public health department. If the bat is still alive and in need of care please DO NOT rely on the form below - please call the nearest bat or wildlife rehabilitator immediately as time may be critical to save his / her life.
Photo generously provided by: Peter Kaufenberg
Many bat species around the globe are believed to be threatened by extinction due to a long list of ongoing threats, including habitat loss, bushmeat hunting, wind energy production, and infectious diseases. White-Nose Syndrome - a fungal disease affecting hibernating bat species - has alone caused a dramatic decrease in bat populations across North America, killing around 6 million individuals as of 2018.
However, in light of new research, advocates believe chemical pest management compounds could be contributing to the species’ alarming decline.
Growing awareness of the hazards inherent in the use of rodenticides and pesticides is driving increasingly ardent demand for legal and regulatory parameters throughout British Columbia and parts of the United States. But new research indicates that rodenticides and other chemicals commonly used to manage unwelcome wildlife and insects are having a greater impact on the ecosystem than previously realized. While secondary impacts on non-target predator species such as owls, falcons, and coyotes are well documented, evidence of bioaccumulation within less obvious members of the food chain - including bats - is raising even more concerns.
For more information on what to do if you find a sick or dead bat click here.
Additional Research
A recent New Zealand study confirmed the presence of anticoagulant rodenticides (diphacinone) in an insectivorous bat species (Mystacina tuberculata) (Dennis and Gartell, 2015). Two likely routes of exposure were proposed: direct consumption of toxic bait or secondary poisoning after eating arthropods that had consumed toxic bait.
“At necropsy, adult bats showed gross and histologic hemorrhages consistent with coagulopathy, and diphacinone residues were confirmed in 10 of 12 liver samples tested. The cause of mortality of pups was diagnosed as a combination of the effects of diphacinone toxicity, exposure, and starvation. Diphacinone was also detected in two of 11 milk samples extracted from the stomachs of dead pups.”
See also (Eason and Spur, 1995), a literature review regarding Toxicity and Sub-lethal Effects of Brodifacoum in Birds and Bats.
Subsequent studies have similarly cited insects and water sources as potential pathways for species previously believed to be unlikely victims. For example, see (Regnery et al, 2018). “Anticoagulants accumulating in aquatic wildlife are likely to be transferred in the food chain, causing potentially serious consequences for the health of wildlife and humans alike”