A woman was in for a big scare when she went into her bathroom and found one of the UK’s largest bat species sat trapped in her toilet during the last UK heatwave
A woman popped to the bathroom – only to find a huge bat taking a dip in her toilet bowl. The flying rodent, later nicknamed Louis, ended up in the lav after getting in through an open window. Bats sometimes find their way into homes while searching for water in hot conditions, experts say.
The weak and dehydrated animal was rescued from the bathroom in Sussex using a garden trowel before being dried off.
Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Bluesky channel pointed the finder towards expert advice and she called in the help of volunteers at Sussex Bat Group.
The woman, who did not wish to be named, said: “I’ve learnt so much about bats from this wonderful encounter, including that so many are dehydrated and that the biggest single cause of injury is cats.
“And that they can find refuge in the tiniest gaps under hung tiles and in other nooks and crannies on older buildings.”
Louis was taken into the care of Sussex Bat Hospital’s Amanda Millar, who confirmed he was a Serotine – one of the UK’s larger bat species.
Though thin and exhausted, a week of rest and a diet of mealworms restored him to full health and ready for a test flight, proving he was fit to return home.
At dusk, Louis was driven back to the back garden of the woman who found him, and released.
He flew off into the night, with a bat later spotted flitting across the sky, possibly Louis finding his way home.
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