A bat found hiding in the boot of a car in a showroom has been released after being rescued by the RSPCA and rehabilitated by volunteers from Durham Bat Group.
Bernie – as he’s been named by his carers – was discovered by car salesmen in the boot of a red Vauxhall Grandland X that had been transported to the showroom in Hartlepool after being manufactured in France.
Animal collection officer Shane Lynn initially believed the pipistrelle bat had travelled over in the car from France. However, it now appears that the bat could have climbed aboard at the company’s compound in Kent or when the transporter stopped enroute.
Bernie was taken for a check-up at a local vet before going into care with a Bat Conservation Trust volunteer. Gwynevere Kipling – bat carer and member of Durham Bat Group – said: “Eventually he built up his strength and gained in confidence flying again. Once he was cleared for release by APHA we took him to a spot nearby where there is a local community of bats and plenty of resources available for them to give him the best chance.”
