Atlantic Wildlife Institute loses eagle, gains a bat

The Atlantic Wildlife Institute said goodbye to one resident and welcomed in another.

After several months of recuperation an adult bald eagle has been released back into the wild.

"He was found south of Moncton in the Dieppe area. He was sitting on garbage cans in a suburban area," said Pam Novak of AWI.

Shift - NB8:37Brown bat recuperating

Atlantic Wildlife Institute cares for a brown bat whose spring awakening came too early.

The bird had severe road rash underneath its wings.

"She was in pretty bad shape when we got her in but she healed well after antibiotic treatments. We got her back up and flying in our aviary."

"She took right off. It was wonderful."

But the institute has found itself in the care of a big brown bat found on the ground of a condominium foyer in Fredericton.

"Her body weight is really good, but she's favouring one of her wings," said Novak,

Bats can be tricky to deal with, with their fragile wings and thin bones but Novak says it's important to keep their body weight up and keep them hydrated.

"These bats are a bit heartier so it's not as uncommon to see them this time of yearto get out get and get some foraging done. They can handle the lower temps better than other bat species."

Big brown bats are in a better situation than the little brown bats because they hang out in suburban or urban areas and avoid caves where white nose fungus tends to be.