280 bats find new homes in Saskatoon, with a little help from some friends

An animal lover and educator has released a total of 280 bats into six purpose-build bat houses in Saskatoon, with the last batch of 80 creatures settled into their new homes Thursday night.

Melanie Elliott, who manages the ecological education area for ED Foundations at the University of Saskatchewan's college of education but is otherwise known as Saskatoon's "Batwoman" supervised the process.

The bats were found hibernating above the ceiling tilesand vapour barrier of a business under renovationon Avenue D Northlast fall.

"They spent two weeks picking these bats out of the fibreglass pink and and putting them intobins," said Elliott of the renovators Jeff Montgomery, Vern Peequaquat, Aaron McGill and Emery Flaterud who initiallyrescued the bats.

"I took them home and could hibernate them in my cold cellar."

Newly-built bat homes donated

Elliott who has a permit to rescue and release bats from Saskatchewan's Ministry of Environment gave her dark-winged broodwaterand monitored the batsover the winter.

The woodworking committee at Luther Tower builtand provided five ofthe six bat housesincluding two larger, insulated houses for maternity colonies.

"We've got boys and girls. We're hoping that they stay here and that they keep this area of the city mosquito free," said Elliott.

Elliott says it's the first rescue-and-rehabilitation effort of its kind in the city.

Bats were taken out of large containers, placed in a smaller bat bag and then gingerly positioned under the opening of each box.

Elliott had already released the other 200 bats in the weeks leading up to Thursday.

Advice for non-batpeople

And if the averagenon-batperson should find their own surprise batch while tearing out their ceiling?

"If it's summertime, if you just open the window, open the door, turn the lights off, then the bats will go out when they're ready when it's dark," said Elliott.

"If it's winter, though, we ask you to call the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan."

The society can be reached at 1-306-242-7177.