Happy holidays | ABR Newsletter, Dec. 2021

Here at the winter solstice, our hemisphere tilts farthest from the sun that dominates our busy days. We have long starry nights to contemplate the miracle of life on our blue-green home as we spin and spiral through the Milky Way, just one galaxy among countless others in the night sky. That any of us exist, to walk and swim and love and fly and wonder at the universe, is the most incredible gift of all. Let’s use these long nights to renew our recognition of the miraculous nature of all life on our garden planet. Peace on Earth depends on us. Let’s do this.

Right now we are recognizing one little life amongst all the others, a bat named Moby. He was one of many from the 9th St bridge who arrived at Austin Bat Refuge during Winter Storm Uri, and his indomitable spirit stands out just as much as his color. He’s not albino, he’s leucistic (our gift to you for a future winning Scrabble word!), and he really looks like he could be our own little Frosty the Snowbat.

But Moby’s unique color pattern is not the only thing that makes him stand out. He has an undeniable fire in his belly! When we moved the bats from his colony to a larger tent for flight practice, most were not ready to try it. Moby, still weak from the freeze, was the first to pick himself up and start flying again. He had so much determination that it seemed he was flying on willpower alone. Only after he began swooping around the tent did other bats begin to attempt it themselves. We think that he inspired the whole group!

It is not surprising that a white Mexican free-tailed bat would have so much spirit. Free-tails are usually brownish-grey, blending in with the night and with the darkness of the caves and bridges where they roost. Moby stands out like a beacon in the night, making it much easier for a hawk to pick him out from the group in the evening sky. For him to have survived predators in the wild for as long as he has, he must have had a little extra grit.

You can help us take care of Moby and all the bats who are overwintering with us here at Austin Bat Refuge by contributing to our end-of-year campaign. Donations are always tax-deductible. We have a goal to raise $5,000 to make sure that all our bats are warm and fed all winter long so they can recover and be ready to be released in spring, when the weather is nice and the moths they eat are plentiful.

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Moby was just one of the hundreds of bats we took in last winter during the historic freeze. You made it possible for us to purchase a generator, so we can keep lights and heat on even if the power goes out. You also sent heating pads, syringes, and paper towels in enormous numbers! Thank you for your incredible support.

If we are really going to be ready for another possible freeze, we will need more “pup tents” to house the hundreds of bats that we may receive. These small tents give shelter to bats in our care when they are unable to fly. This is critical for cold-stunned bats, which can often take days or weeks to begin to resume flying. Even though we hope there will never again be an event like Winter Storm Uri, we have to prepare for the worst. Please consider buying a “pup tent” from Raising Butterflies (this is the item we like: Black 12" by 12" by 12" Popup Cage without Vinyl Window w/ 2 sets of zippers) and having it shipped to us at: Austin Bat Refuge, PO. Box 302413, Austin, TX 78703.

We want to express our profound gratitude to Basically Bats Wildlife Conservation Society, Inc. for its generous donation in memory of its late founder, Susan M. Barnard. Sue authored the four-volume set Bats In Captivity, which chronicles her extraordinary knowledge of bats and bat rehabilitation and the science that informed her work. You can learn more about Basically Bats and its amazing work at http://www.basicallybats.org/.

Bat blessings to you and yours,

Co-founders of Austin Bat Refuge