Dozens of grounded bats spotted in downtown OKC

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Dozens of bats have been spotted in downtown Oklahoma City over the past few days.

So far, WildCare Oklahoma says they've rescued nearly 70 bats.

"This is the first time I've kind of dealt with this situation, and I've been with WildCare since 2021," said Mackenzie Thomas, wildlife rehabilitation manager, WildCare.

All of the bats have been found in the same area of downtown, near construction around the courthouse.

"They like to roost in those old buildings, they're kind of getting stressed and driven out of that area from construction, and then with all the cold fronts moving through and the colder weather coming, they're getting grounded just from being cold-stunned," said Thomas.

If you stumble across a bat, Thomas says you should never touch it.

"All of the bats in Oklahoma are rabies vector species. That does not mean that every bat carries rabies, but it does mean that every bat has the potential to carry rabies," said Thomas.

If you call WildCare Oklahoma, they can walk you through what to do step-by-step.

"A lot of times we have people, if they feel comfortable just taking a big piece of cardboard and scooping them into a box," said Thomas.

However, if that makes you uncomfortable, WildCare can always send a staff member to help the bat get off the ground.

"They're kind of just stuck in that position. That's not something that we want them to be in, we want to be able to either scoot them somewhere where they can climb and then take off from that or get them into care," said Thomas.

You can call WildCare at (405) 872-9338.