“She was beautiful” 😍
In a heartwarming tale of unexpected encounters with wildlife, Joette Westerburg found herself in a unique situation one day in October. Her mission? To locate a goose reportedly injured by a car in the town of Indian Trail, near Charlotte, North Carolina.
As Westerburg approached the site of the reported accident, her attention was drawn to a group of about 30 geese by a pond. Determined to identify the injured goose, she scattered oats on the ground – a favorite treat for these wild birds.
While observing the geese, two of them caught Westerburg’s attention as they limped around. She stood there, feeding and observing, trying to assess the severity of their injuries. Little did she know that her focus on the geese would lead to an unexpected surprise.
Out of nowhere, a small and furry creature fell at her feet. Startled, Westerburg looked down to find a tiny animal that resembled a mouse but had a distinctive reddish-brown coat and a tangle of limbs – a bat.
“I had to laugh at first because as lots of people in rescue know, when you’re out there, animals just tend to find you,” Westerburg expressed. “So I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, of course a bat falls at my feet.’”
Initial amusement turned into concern as Westerburg wondered why the bat had fallen. Acting swiftly, she used her empty oats container to carefully scoop up the tiny creature. Her first call was to Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, the nonprofit where she volunteered as an ambulance driver. However, since the rescue primarily focused on waterfowl, they suggested reaching out to another group called the Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center for assistance with the bat.
Following the advice of the wildlife rescue group, Westerburg found a safe spot to place the bat temporarily. The plan was to return the next day to check on her, armed with a stick for the bat to cling onto for examination purposes.
“She was beautiful,” Westerburg reminisced. “I had never seen a bat close up like that. I was fascinated by her color and her size. She was so little. She was probably the size of a mouse with wings.”
Despite the intention to return the next day, fate had other plans. In an unexpected turn of events, the bat took flight but ended up landing in the middle of a pond. Concerned for the tiny creature, Westerburg rushed back to her car to retrieve water shoes and waded into the pond to find her.
“I’m not seeing her and I’m worried that something’s happened to her, that she’s gone under the water and I was too late,” she shared anxiously.
Luckily, the bat was spotted at the edge of the pond, prompting another call to the Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center. This time, they advised Westerburg to bring the bat in for a closer examination.
Ensuring the bat’s comfort, Westerburg placed her in the oats container with a warm washcloth. Upon examination, the rescue group discovered a missing toe and bruised wings, but they were optimistic about her recovery.
Westerburg later shared photos of the bat and her rescue story on Carolina Waterfowl Rescue’s Facebook page, reflecting on the rarity and specialness of such a close encounter with a bat.
“I don’t think many people have had, you know, an up-close bat experience like that,” Westerburg mused. “It was really special.”
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