Austin Bat Refuge working to save hundreds affected by arctic blast

Hundreds of bats freeze, fall from bridges during arctic blast

The Austin Bat Refuge has collected about 500 bats that fell from bridges and has been able to rehabilitate more than 80 bats from this recent cold snap.

AUSTIN, Texas - Hundreds of bats froze and fell from Central Texas bridges during the recent arctic blast and the Austin Bat Refuge is working to save them.

It's careful work, but with each syringe, Dianne Odegard brings a bat back to life.

"It’s an electrolyte solution that rehydrates them much faster than they could ever be rehydrated by mouth," Odegard said. "They just they literally freeze."

Odegard and her husband Lee Mackenzie run the nonprofit which collected about 500 bats that fell from bridges during the blast.

"They've been in torpor in those bridges," said Mackenzie. "If they are stone cold asleep, they're just going to drop like a rock head first. And a lot of them have brain damage or have a head injury concussions."

Others have wing damage.

"Those wing membranes are just so full of blood vessels and nerve fibers and muscle fibers," Mackenzie said. "And so I think there's a lot of potential for damage when those wing membranes get to a point where they're almost frozen. So those bats may or may not fly again."

If they’re unable to fly, they’ll stay at the Refuge forever.

Austin Bat Refuge takes flight, seeing increase in bat intakes

The Austin Bat Refuge is rehabilitating the largest number of bats they've seen in years and they attribute the increase to social media.

The group has been able to rehabilitate more than 80 bats from this recent cold snap. The numbers are grim, but pale in comparison to the large die-offs that occurred in 2021's winter storms.

Expecting more severe weather as the climate changes, the group hopes to be part of the solution.

"We're going to collaborate with some scientists from a lab in Princeton University on one of the bat labs up there want to find out why some survived and some did not," said Mackenzie. "So we're saving even the best we released. We're saving hair samples from them and the occasional wing punch tissue sample."

If you find a grounded bat during a cold snap, the Refuge says to call either 512-695-4116 or 512-799-8847.

The Refuge advises to not touch the bat, but if you believe it's in danger, you can use a stick to gently move it to safety in the meantime.

The Refuge also says that bats trying to keep warm will often wind up in leaf piles, so residents are advised not to burn their leaves without checking. Residents should also keep an eye on their dogs.