Freezing bats plunging to the ground in Texas rescued

Animals will be returned to their natural habitats after spending time in incubators

Hundreds of bats have been released in Texas after going into hypothermic shock during freezing temperatures. AP

Mexican free-tailed bats huddle in an incubator as they recover from the cold weather. AP

The bats were also injected with fluids to keep them from dehydrating and starving. AP

Mary Warwick, wildlife director at the Houston Humane Society, releases bats at Waugh Drive Bridge in Texas. AFP

About 700 bats were rescued from the colony due to frigid temperatures that caused them to fall to the ground. AFP

The society rescued 1,600 bats from the Houston area. AFP

Ms Warwick is congratulated after releasing the bats. AFP

Crowds watch as Mexican free-tailed bats are released after being rescued from the cold. AFP

Bats live under bridges in Texas. AFP

Bats are released in Houston. AFP

Several bats would not fly away during the release initiative. AFP

Bat flights, which normally happen at sunset, draw crowds in the US. AFP

More than 1,500 bats will be released to their habitats on Wednesday after spending time in the attic of a Texas humane society director this week.

Hundreds of the flying mammals lost their grip and plunged to the pavement in Houston after going into hypothermic shock during the city’s recent cold snap.

Mary Warwick, the wildlife director at the Houston Humane Society, said she was holiday shopping when freezing winds compelled her to drive under a bridge, where she found more than 100 bats that appeared to be dead.

She collected the bats in a box and was amazed when, on her drive home, they began to come back to life, chirping and moving around in their spot on her heated passenger seat. She put the bats in incubators and returned to the bridge twice a day to collect more.

Two days later, she got a call about more than 900 bats that had been rescued from a bridge in nearby Pearland, Texas. More people showed up to rescue the bats.

Ms Warwick said each of the bats was warmed in an incubator until their body temperatures rose and they were then hydrated through fluids administered to them under their skin.

She soon realised there were too many bats for any one person to care for and the society’s current facilities did not have the necessary space, so she put them in her attic, where they were separated by colony in dog kennels. There, they were able to reach a state of hibernation that did not require them to eat.

“As soon as I wake up in the morning, I wonder: ‘How are they doing, I need to go see them,’ “ Ms Warwick said.

She said more than 100 bats died due to the cold, and others because of the fall from the bridges. Fifty-six are recovering at the Bat World sanctuary and 20 will stay with Ms Warwick a bit longer.

“That would really help in these situations where we continue to see these strange weather patterns come through,” she said of efforts to get a bat room at the human society.

“We could really use more space to rehabilitate the bats.”

Houston reached unusually frigid temperatures last week as an arctic blast pushed across much of the country.

Blizzard conditions from that same storm system are blamed for more than 30 deaths in the Buffalo, New York, area.

Exotic animal struggling on the rise -- in pictures

The Wildlife Centre, just outside Mussaffah in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, is a refuge for endangered species that have been smuggled into the country and domesticated. Lee Hoagland / The National

Al Ain Zoo became the new home for cheetah cubs that were smuggled into Dubai in 2010. Ten of the 15 died. Sammy Dallal / The National

This bird was greeted each day by its care giver with the phrase 'Asalam Alaikum'. It now repeats the Muslim greeting. Lee Hoagland / The National

Ball Python eggs are popular with animal traffickers and smugglers. EPA

A surprising number of snakes are smuggled in and out of countries each year. EPA

In Thailand, animal lovers are able to meet exotic beasts such as lions, frogs, birds and snakes at a yearly event. EPA

A member of the Cheetah Conservation Fund feeds a baby cheetah. AFP

Every year an estimated 300 cheetah cubs are trafficked through Somaliland to wealthy buyers seeking exotic pets. AFP

Cheetah cubs that survive being snatched from their mothers, and shipped out of Africa to wartorn Yemen and onwards to the Gulf can fetch up to $15,000 on the black market. AFP

India has reported a surge in the smuggling of exotic birds including cockatoos and macaws, as well as other rare species such as tortoises, civets and snakes from South-East Asian countries. All remaining photos: Indian Police

Wildlife experts say the reason for the sharp increase in smuggling is the high demand for rare animals as pets.

Combined with major legal loopholes, this has driven up the illegal trade in India.

Smugglers usually use land routes along India's north-eastern region that borders Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh, but many fly the animals into country, with airport authorities thwarting many attempts.

There is no legislation in the country's Wildlife Act that covers their arrest or prosecution for possessing and smuggling exotic animals and birds.

Most of the arrests are made under India’s criminal law.

The Associated Press contributed to this report