For the last twelve months, the Swan family, guided by matriarch Rachelle, has been sharing its abode with a family of bats persistently occupying the attic. The unexpected invasion became apparent in the waning summer months of the prior year, as a live bat inconveniently made its presence known in the midst of the Swan’s living room. This strange incident turned out to be far less singular than it initially appeared.
As time passed, the echoes of ambiguous rustling behind the walls seemed to multiply and unexpected guests began emerging in various corners of the Swan family home. The task of removing these roosting bats proved no simple feat, due to their species’ protected status. An insidious fungus had spread among North America’s bat populations two decades ago, driving them to the brink of extinction.
Dan Riskin, a renowned Science and Technology Specialist explained, “The fungus, synonymous with the ‘white-nose syndrome,’ proliferates on the noses, bodies, and wings of these bats, compelling them into a precarious state of existence.”
Their protected species status, however, allows for these creatures to be relocated only at specific times of the year, creating an added challenge as the accessibility to the bats remains notably limited. “The structure of our roof serves as a barricade that can only be overcome by dismantling it entirely, an endeavor we cannot afford,” lamented Swan, estimating the cost to be as steep as $100,000 – a liability not covered by their insurance.
In search of direction, Swan reached out to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. The Ministry, in its response, referred to the stringent norms laid out by the ‘Saskatchewan’s Bat Exclusion Policy,’ that mandates the relocation procedures for bats to be executed only in the months of May or September. Any exceptions, it stated, would require individual assessment and there exists no provincial program that mitigates the expenditures involved in bat exclusion for the homeowner.
Riskin posted a grim outlook, highlighting the immense challenge of bat-proofing a structure of significant size once the creatures have adapted to it. The bats, he stated, could enter through any opening that could accommodate an adult human thumb. Sealing these potential entry points would be an onerous task.
Observing the Swan family’s predicament, a friend initiated a community funding campaign entitled “Rachelle and Kelly’s Bat Infestation” GoFundMe, aimed at assisting the family in meeting the costs associated with the bat relocation process.
The campaign states that the family has thus far endured seventy-seven rabies preventive injections as a necessary precaution amid their ongoing cohabitation strife.
