Obituary for a Bat

Jeremy, whom I had given the name, found solace in my air conditioning unit to shield himself from the relentless heat and scorching sun. Intrigued by the dark confines, he seemed to ponder why no other bats sought refuge in this cozy spot. One evening, as I prepared for bed, I activated the unit and was met with the familiar hum of a tired AC that had been working tirelessly throughout the sweltering summer. However, to my surprise, the source of the noise was not the AC itself, but rather Jeremy, emitting high-pitched shrieks in response to the loud mechanical sounds and the various moving components within the unit.

In the morning, I turned off my air conditioner, grabbed some coffee downstairs, and returned to sit at my computer. I had just shifted my foot slightly when I felt something that was certainly not a hardwood floor. There was Jeremy, on his back with wings spread. He was yelling at me for setting a toe on his wing. I left the room to fetch bat-catching tools, feeling a mix of panic and curiosity about how and why a bat had found its way into my home. Jeremy, despite his initial anger, seemed more startled and afraid than anything else. Little did I know that they need to be three feet above the ground to start flying, a fact that I found both fascinating and unexpected. Mother kept me from going into the room.

While I left and was held up by my mother, Jeremy crawled to a new dark area, this one much larger than the AC unit: my bed. A wildlife conflict agent (not a Game Warden) arrived and skillfully captured Jeremy in a Tupperware container with a light red cover. As the agent secured the container, Jeremy fell silent, his frantic movements giving way to a resigned stillness. He was then taken away to be analyzed for rabies, leaving me with a mixture of relief and concern for his well-being. The event left me pondering the delicate balance between wildlife and human interaction, and the impact of human encroachment on the habitats of creatures like Jeremy. I felt guilty that I could not simply free Jeremy.

To be checked for rabies, Jeremy was euthanized on July 15 or 16; they didn’t tell me what day. I don’t know how old Jeremy was, but big brown bats can live for twenty or more years. So let’s say he was eight. Jeremy, the eight-year-old big brown bat, was euthanized on July…15. Much to my surprise, he was found to be positive for rabies. So now I have to get shots and vaccines. Thanks, Jeremy. Also, sorry my AC unit wasn’t the best place like you probably thought.