Suffolk, Virginia– When an observant surveyor from Virginia noticed a fuzzy rock, he took a closer look. The rock was really an injured bat. The team's subsequent actions saved this animal's life.
"Sometimes wildlife ends up in the most unexpected places, and this little silver-haired bat is a perfect example," Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge wrote in a Facebook post in mid‑October.
Upon finding the bat, the surveyor alerted the project's Environmental Compliance Manager, Ronnie Sanford. The manager jumped into action and secured the area. Then, he contacted Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge for further help.
Fuzzy bats don't usually hang out around hard rocks, which made the situation strange and perilous.
"We aren't exactly sure how he ended up in such a dangerous situation," the rescuers explained in their social media post.
"It's possible he became exhausted during flight and landed on the rocks, was knocked around by the waves, or was even dropped by a predator."
An observant surver's action made all the difference
An examination proved that this little bat had been through "quite an ordeal" before his rescue.
"His fur was full of sand, and it appeared he had been exposed to salt water. By the time he was found, he was extremely thirsty, weak, and exhausted," the team wrote.
"Based on his condition, we suspect he had been stranded there for quite some time."
In other words, this bat got lucky he fell into a construction site.
"Just imagine how exhausting that must have been for such a tiny animal, surrounded by water, waves, and rocks with nowhere safe to go," the rescue organization continued.
"Thankfully, someone noticed him and cared enough to take action. Because of that, this little bat now has a chance at recovery."
The organization hopes that with expert care, this little silver-haired bat will make a full recovery. They'd like to release the animal back into the wild.