Betty the bat rescued by kind Derbyshire family after getting lost in strong winds

A kind Derbyshire family rescued a lost bat, who has since been named Betty, after she was found on a doorstep ‘disorientated’ from the windy weather across the county last week.
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Sophie McKenzie, found the animal looking very still and almost as if she was dead, next to her mother’s front door in the evening on March 11.

The 44-year-old opened the door and saw Betty – who she initially assumed was male – looking lifeless on the ground and called her husband over to help her gently move the animal into a shoe box which she had put some holes in.

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Sophie saw some signs of life as the bat’s wing moved and her little paw gripped onto something as she was laid into the box with a tea towel over her.

Betty the bat was rescued by Sophie and her family last week.Betty the bat was rescued by Sophie and her family last week.
Betty the bat was rescued by Sophie and her family last week.

The animal lovers then placed a milk bottle lid filled with water into the box before taking her to Pride vets in Derby for an assessment.

Sophie’s 10-year-old daughter Isla held the shoe box on her lap in the waiting room and could hear Betty scratching the box and starting to move around.

The rescue bat is now thriving and eating lots of worms according to vets, who kept her in and discovered she was not injured but likely came out of hibernation last week and got disorientated in the winds and storms.

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Betty is still at the vets and will be released back into the wild when the weather has settled again.

Assistant head teacher at DaVinci Academy Sophie McKenzie.Assistant head teacher at DaVinci Academy Sophie McKenzie.
Assistant head teacher at DaVinci Academy Sophie McKenzie.

Sophie, who has two cats herself, and is assistant head teacher at DaVinci Academy in Derby, said: “I was really, really relieved on Friday when they said she was ok and she wasn't injured.

"I feel really privileged, I think it's really special to have been involved in her little life in some way and in these times of lockdown, I think it gives us hope.

"I didn't think twice about it, I just scooped her up and rang the vets - it was quite exciting.

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"Her body was about the size of my thumb so two or three inches and then her wings were just curled up.

Sophie's daughter Isla held Betty in a shoe box at the vets.Sophie's daughter Isla held Betty in a shoe box at the vets.
Sophie's daughter Isla held Betty in a shoe box at the vets.

"At first glance you might have thought she was a frog or a lump of wood.”

Betty is soon to be released back into the wild.Betty is soon to be released back into the wild.
Betty is soon to be released back into the wild.

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