TOLEDO, Ohio — There was some excitement outside WTOL 11 Studios on New Year's Eve: employees spotted a bat near the entrance to the building.
The kind folks at Nature's Nursery came and rescued it, but volunteers noted that bats like this one should be hibernating this time of year.
Volunteer Jacqueline Rivas said the warmer-than-normal temperatures have been a bit confusing for the animals, so they're thinking it's spring and time to wake up.
Unfortunately, there's not much for them to eat right now. Rivas said there's a good chance the bat may not have survived.
"There's a chance he would fall back asleep and start hibernating, but it can be a lot of strain on their body and they can lose a lot of weight trying to find food when there is no food," she said.
Nature's Nursery will provide the little guy with a warm place to stay for the winter and when the insects return in the spring, he'll be released back into the wild.
The Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation Center cares for about 3,500 native animals a year and survives through volunteers like Rivas and donations from the public.
If you'd like to help their cause, click here.