Humane Society Rescues 83 Bats Hiding Behind Peninsula Mural

MENLO PARK, CA -- Dozens of bats were rescued this week from a home in Menlo Park. The Peninsula Humane Society said it was called to the home to safely capture the 83 Mexican free-tailed bats and transport them to the Wildlife Care Center for evaluation.

The bats were discovered when a group of workers were preparing to power wash the side of the house. A mural of St. Francis was apparently removed and the bats were behind it.

“When the bats started to fall to the ground, the workers called us for assistance," said Buffy Martin-Tarbox, a spokeswoman with the Humane Society. "Our staff quickly arrived and were concerned the bats may have been injured so we carefully scooped them up and brought them to our wildlife center for evaluation.”

Staff provided the bats with oxygen and put them into incubators to help with circulation and increase their body temperature.

Mexican free-tailed bats are native to California and are a species of special concern in California as a result of declining populations. They are medium size bats, on average 3.5 inches in length. Their name is derived from the size of their tail, which is almost half their total body length, the nonprofit said.

All eighty-three of the bats were medically cleared and were returned to the wild last night to where they were originally rescued in Menlo Park. Many of the bats flew right back to the St. Francis mural.

--Photo courtesy of Peninsula Humane Society