Wandering Mexican bat flown home

[Paddles_up]

Ananova -- A rare bat has been returned to
its native land after action by wildlife
campaigners and an airline. The strong
smelling male Mexican free-tailed bat
nicknamed Pongo, was found near docks in
Kent several weeks ago. After being
rescued by a member of the Kent Bat Group
the animal was sent to quarantine
facilities in Sussex. Bat workers, vets
and government agencies on both sides of
the Atlantic, along with the Bat
Conservation Trust, worked to return the
creature to his country of origin. But
there were difficulties finding an
airline to fly him home. Then American
Airlines was made aware of the problem
and the urgent need to get Pongo back to
his native climate. AA Cargo in Fort
Worth, Texas, and in London, arranged for
passage to fly the tiny stowaway back to America.

[brownbat]

I wish more airlines would work with wildlife rehabilitators/rescue groups to transport displaced critters to where they belong. (There are cases where birds miss the migration season because they are recovering at a wildlife hospital,etc.) It wouldn't cost the airlines anything but a little extra paperwork and it is great press for the companies, boosting an image of compassion and environmental sensitivity.

Thanks for posting this article.