It’s not just Pokémon Go’s digital Zubats that are appearing all over Seattle. Thanks to urban sprawl, a variety of real-life bats are appearing all over Puget Sound, KOMO reports.
Barb Ogaard, a Bothell resident and volunteer with PAWS Animal Shelter, told the news station that bats have nowhere to go. Because of this, she has taken in and cared for a number of bats that have been found everywhere from drivers’ car visors to the ground “after someone pressure washed a building.”
According to Emily Meredith, PAWS’ wildlife rehabilitation manager, summer is when bats are most active because it is prime insect-hunting season. Because of this, it isn’t uncommon to see bats in people’s backyards.
If bats are roosting up high on a building, they should be left alone, said Meredith. However, if a Seattle resident sees a bat in the same spot after 48 hours or even just on the ground, it could be a sign that the critter is sick or injured.
In those cases, said Meredith, people should not touch stranded bats. Instead, residents should call a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center like PAWS to have bats that are possibly sick or injured transported for proper care.
Find a stranded bat? Call PAWS at 425-412-4040.
This post has been updated.
