LIZZY

After 5 years of bat Rehab, we thought we had seen it all. But this year, again, brought many different challenges. Autumn 2006, for example, was almost Spring-like, resulting in a scattering of aberrant December births (May and June's bug-renewing warmth is the usual time for female bats to give birth). In January, however, Bob received two partially furred babies from two different locations, plus a pregnant mother who almost immediately popped tiny male twins ("Pete" and "Repete"). As a result, the winter started with us already involved in the intensive infant care and frequent feeding progression, a process lasting until early spring. Because of their poor start with hibernating mothers unable to find food, the two cuddly, clinging orphans were not independently releasable until well into the summer. But "Pete" and "Repete" fared better; still able to continue their nursing with a mom fed fat by Bob, the twins were released with their mother and all our other wintering residents in the spring.