Bats

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Scotland is home to several different kinds of bat, including the pipestrelle, the brown long-eared bat, Daubenton's bat and the Natterer's bat. Bats have few predators and the greatest threat they face in Scotland comes from people, especially in relation to building construction and alterations, as many bat species rely heavily on human habitation and structures for roosting and maternity sites.

BAT SAFETY

In general terms bats are not dangerous and cause no structural damage to buildings, however health and safety issues should be borne in mind.

Avoid handling any bats if at all possible and contact a licensed bat worker as soon as you are aware of any problem. If handling of bats is unavoidable this should be carried out wearing a stout pair of gloves.

OFFENCES

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended y the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, all wild bats and their roosts receive protection. Bat roosts are protected at all times, even when the bats are not present.

It is an offence for any person

• to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take any wild bat or to be in possession or control of any live or dead wild bat, or anything derived from a wild bat.

• to intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy or obstruct access to any place that a wild bat uses for shelter or protection. this relates to all bat roosts whether bats are present or not.  

• to intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bat while it is occupying a structure or place that it uses for shelter or protection.

• to sell or advertise for sale any live or dead bat, whole or otherwise, except under license. It is also an offence to set in position and use any articles capable of catching, injuring or killing a at (eg a trap or poison).

EXCEPTIONS  

A  person is not guilty of an offence if he can show that he took a disabled bat in order to tend it and meant to release it once it had recovered. Similarly, if a person finds a bat that is so seriously disabled that it has no reasonable chance of recovering it is not unlawful to humanely kill it.

LICENSES

Work which might impact on bats and their roosts can only be carried out under licence. Scottish Natural Heritage has a power to grant licenses for scientific, educational or conservation purposes.

What to do if you hook a bat

Around the time it’s getting too dark to tie on a new fly, small bats may suddenly appear, skim the water surface and patrol the trees for insects.  Despite their amazing ability to fly in the dark and catch tiny moving insects amongst the branches and leaves, bats occasionally mistake artificial fishing flies for the real thing.  If you are fishing at dusk or later, you may catch a bat and should be aware of the risk of rabies infection and some simple precautions to take.

• You could catch rabies from contact with an infected bat. 

• The risk of catching rabies, which could be fatal, is low and you can take some simple steps to protect yourself.

• If you catch a bat, avoid touching it with bare skin.  To be infected you need to be bitten or scratched by an infected bat or to have contact between its saliva and an open wound or the mucous membranes of your eye, nose or mouth.

• If you think you may have been bitten or scratched by a bat, wash the wound immediately and thoroughly (preferably with soap and without scrubbing) and speak to your Doctor – an effective post-exposure vaccination is available.

·         If possible, try to ‘land’ the bat on the riverbank where it may be able to free itself from the line.  If it does not free itself within 5 to10 minutes, you may wish to cut the line close to the fly.  Do not allow a hooked bat to continue flying around on the end of a line for longer than necessary.

• Bats are legally protected species.  However, if a bat is seriously injured and unlikely to recover, you may kill it in a humane manner.

• Scotland only You can get further advicefrom your local SNH office (see phone book), on-line at www.snh.org.uk or from the SNH Bat Helpline 07774 161219.

• England and Wales only You can get further advicefrom your local English Nature or Countryside Council for Wales office (see phone book), on-line at www.english-nature.org.uk, www.ccw.gov.uk, www.bats.org.uk or from the Bat Conservation Trust Helpline - 08451300 228