Island Life Magazine Ltd November/December 2005 | Page 32

NATURE

Island’s own
Batman and
Batwoman

“I love bats. People need to be aware of
what an important job they do”
With their spooky, horror-film associations, bats have suffered from
a pretty bad press. In fact many people find them seriously spooky.
But not Graham and Donna Street - they absolutely love the furry
little creatures, which is why they set up the Isle of Wight Bat
Hospital in 1997 to care for sick and injured ones.
Since then, their home has been converted into a veritable bat haven
- so much so that the bats have more space in the home than
Graham and Donna do! All the couple's work is done for the love of
bats, since there is no funding available, and all costs have to be
raised by charity events.
They operate a 24-hour rescue service, and collect sick and injured
bats at all times of day or night. Whilst the intention is always to
release the bats back into the wild, there are some that are too
damaged to be returned and these bats stay with Graham and Donna
for the rest of their days. Currently they rescue approx 120 bats a
year, most of which have suffered an encounter with a cat, or are
just the victims of old age. There are an amazing 12 bat species on
the Island, and they all feed purely on insects.
Graham advises anyone who spots a bat in difficulty to call him
straight away and not leave it for two or three days
"Bats roost during the day in a dark place, so if you see one during
the day that is not normal" he points out.
Grahams bats can go through up to £35 worth of (mealworms?) a
week, and help with this food bill is always much appreciated. If
you would like to make a small contribution, or would like to help
in the care of injured bats then please contact them on 01983
406756 or mobile [phone]. Also call these numbers if you come
across a sick or injured bat.
It's worth bearing in mind that bats are a protected species, and
anyone who disturbs their habitat can face a fine of up to £5,000 …
for each bat.

32