North Devon Bat Care

06/01/2026

It’s with great sadness that I have to close North Devon Bat Care this year.

Time constraints, increasing costs, huge changes in family commitments, issues with my health and ever changing rules and regulations around running rescues, fundraising etc have left me in a position where I just cannot care for the bats the way I want to and I cannot see the situation changing any time soon.

I hate to let the bats down and the people who find them and want to help but I just cannot pull myself in so many directions any more.

Since starting the rescue I have managed to get over 1000 bats back out into the wild where they belong. There have been bats I just couldn’t save but thankfully far fewer die then have been released.

There are still people around helping bats across various parts of the UK. Further information can be found via The Bat Conservation Trust or your local bat group. I am always happy to share bat care advice with other bat carers. I dreaded that this day would come and I wish I didn’t have to close but I can nolonger pull myself in so many different directions.

Thank you so much to all who supported the rescue and to the bat finders who brought bats to me. Thank you also to the vets who have given me their back up and The Bat Conservation Trust.

27/11/2025

10/10/2025

Just when I was hoping bat seasons was coming to an end there has been a flurry of bats needing help.

So far this week there have been 2 Long Eared bats and 2 Whiskered bats coming in. Both of the Whiskered bats were catted with the first one having minor injuries and the second one sadly needing to be euthanised due to severe breaks in its wing. It’s doesn’t get any easier making the decision with the vets that a bat has to be euthanised, but sadly cats and bats don’t mix well and the outcome is often fatal for the bat. About 75% of the bats that come into care, come in because of cat injuries. If the bones are intact and they come in quickly wing membranes usually heal well but by the time bones are broken and the bacteria from the cat’s bite kicks in it can be very difficult to save them.

The Long Eared bats can from totally different areas but we’re both starving, which is unusual for this time of the year, but we will fix that issue pretty quickly. I just hope I can get them stable and released shortly so they don’t need to stay here for hibernation.

25/09/2025

I just want to personally thank all those who have helped me fund the work of this bat rescue either by physical donations of food, care supplies etc and money towards the care, travel and medical costs. It is all so grateful recieved and I couldn’t do this care without the support so thank you 🙏.

Update on baby bat releases:- all bar 1 young Pipistrelle bat have now been released back to the wild. The release hatch on the bat care shed is open but currently Nancy the Noctule has decided that she wants to say in the flight cage and release pen. With the weather still being on our side she will have a few more nights of the hatch being open though I have a sneaky suspicion she is trying to find a space to settle for winter in care if she can.

20/09/2025

Thursday night the little Barbastelle was released happily back to the wild back out at Westward Ho! She flew off with a nice full tummy and lots of energy so hopefully she will get back to her batty ways. That night also saw the release of a couple of other bats that had come in recently and Friday night saw releases of Pipistrelle bats back to near Boots in Barnstaple (where the bat was found) and an othe back to outside Kentisbury Primary School. These are likely to be the last of the young bats being released this year as the weather is yet again not suitable for bats to fly and feed in. Young bats need time when released to meet up with other bats and learn where best to hibernate as well as chance to put on enough weight to get through winter which is not easy to do in bad weather conditions.

10/09/2025

Monday night saw three young bats released back to their roosts by the beautiful light of the moon. It was so breath taking to be part of.

Then for extra excitement a very rare Barbastelle bat needed to come into care on Tuesday forming after being found in a very exposed position at the ocean side of The Pier House in Westward Ho. These bats are more often found in ancient woodlands using their black and silver fur to camouflage under loose bark on oat trees. Not roosting in broad daylight near a bright light and the sea. She was very hungry and thirsty and once stabilised tucked into waxworms with delight. These bats have a weaker jaw than our other species so often struggle with bats usual care food which is life mealworms.

In all the years of doing bat rescue (13 years now) in North Devon, this species has only ever come into care 4 times (plus one transfer from elsewhere).

They have been found in the following areas:-
- Bishops Tawton (in a barn by Codden Hill, dead)
- Newport Road in Barnstaple (on someone’s front door on Halloween)
- Near Chambercombe Manor, Ilfracombe (on the side of a horse box)
- Chivenor Royal Marine Barracks (I suspect all the housing changes in this area will have sadly take away the roosting spaces for these bats now
And now The Pier House, Westward Ho.

It’s so exciting to see that this elusive bat species is around.

21/08/2025

Some bats only need a little bit of help. This Whiskered bat was outside in daylight at Tesco’s Rose Lane, Barnstaple. After seagulls getting too curious she was taken into care to have food and rehydration before release this evening 🙂.

21/08/2025

It’s taken time but this little boy is now back in the wild. Hopefully he will not come across any more glue traps being used in Barnstaple.
Pannier Market

09/08/2025

After lots of tlc the bat that was stuck on the glue trap at Barnstaple Pannier Market is now looking much better and is nearly ready to fly again.

He will still need to stay in care for a little while so I can check his flight capacity hasn’t been affected. Bats often pull their arm and should muscles when trying to escape glue traps. His fur may still fall off in about a week but fingers crossed I got to him and treated him quick enough that this won’t happen.

03/08/2025

Today’s rescue - Glue Trap edition. This is a very lucky male Soprano Pipistrelle bat.
He was found by a Street Support Officer on the ground of the Pannier Market in Barnstaple. It would appear he had got stuck on one of the glue traps that were on the beam directly above where this very sad and sticky bat was found.
For me it was unusual to find a bat with its wing stuck to its nose and mouth (making breathing hard) and with the addition of bird feathers, something bats do not have naturally.
This little guy has got a number of other sticky bat spa services to undergo before he can try flying again. I hope to get him back to the wild but it will be a a good few weeks yet as these bats often loose their fur s a result of all the time spent trying to escape the glue trap.

31/07/2025

The smallest baby bats have reached a new milestone where they can now eat solid food. Yippee, no more middle of the night milk feeds.

It’s time to do some final repairs on the flight pen so the older babies that are in the flight pen baby room can start flying in the flight space without getting lost. Then these babies can go into the baby room instead of the pop up tent they have been using in the house at night.

I love seeing the bats meeting these new milestones.
If anyone can help support the bat rescue I would be really greatful as it all costs far more money to care for the bats then ever comes in to support them. It’s been a busy summer are funds are running low so if you can help, please do. The link to our fundraising is in on our perminant link. Thank you so much, every penny counts.