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Good morning bats! Salmon Arm office receives surprise visit by winged critters

Pair of bats found huddled together on wall in the sun outside downtown office
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Two bats were seen huddled together outside the Edward Jones office in downtown Salmon Arm at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 16. (Cameron Thomson/Salmon Arm Observer)

Observer staff and other workers were greeted with an unusual sight Friday morning – a pair of bats huddled together in the sun on a wall outside a downtown office.

The pair was seen just outside of Edward Jones investment services at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Friday, August 16.

Wildlife conservation officer Micah Kneller says while the sight is not particularly rare, he does say it is uncommon.

Read more: B.C. man dies from rabies after contact with Vancouver Island bat

Read more: Worried about bats? Here’s what to do if you come across one in B.C.

Although Kneller is aware of the man on Vancouver Island who died from rabies introduced to him by a bat bite, he considers this “exceedingly rare.” However, Kneller does encourage those who have come in contact with a bat to get checked at a hospital or clinic.

“My advice would just be to leave them be,” Kneller said. “Usually they’ll move on if they’re not feeling comfortable there. If people have concerns about them, they can phone our RAP line number 1-877-952-7277, but I don’t think it is anything to really get excited about.”

Sure enough, the bats had moved on to another spot to nap within two hours of their first sighting.


@CameronJHT
Cameron.thomson@saobserver.net

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