Have you ever wondered how your Zoo weighs bats? 🦇
Well it takes a village of people once a year when check-ups are arranged for the Straw-coloured fruit bat colony in the African Rainforest Pavilion. Each bat is microchipped for easy identification. The Vet team offers a thorough examination for every bat which includes body condition scoring, weighing, checking their teeth and wing health to ensure they are in good condition.
If a heavy female is observed, both Wildlife Care and Health teams will look for signs of pregnancy.
Bats are also given any needed vaccines and preventative treatment. Sometimes blood samples are taken to ensure they are as healthy as possible. We wear appropriate PPE as fruit bats are susceptible to several illnesses, including the Coronavirus.
In addition to regular health checks, we will also determine the sex of new bats born within the year.
Wildlife Care recently introduced a new roosting cage to help lessen the stress of bats being handled during a catch up. Following processing, the bats will go into a smaller intro cage to rest and the door is then left open to allow them to venture out into their habitat at their own pace and time.
Did you know? The Straw-coloured fruit bats are viewable on Zoolife - the world’s first virtual Zoo! Make sure to catch them virtually or in person during your next Toronto Zoo visit: zoolife.tv/torontozoo 🦇