Ireland's bat rescuers fight fear and falling populations

Summary

At a bat rehabilitation centre in Ireland, conservationists are working to protect injured and orphaned bats and to reverse the animals' fearsome reputation, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic when bats were wrongly blamed for the outbreak. Rescuers say they received daily calls from terrified members of the public, with some threatening to kill the bats, block them in with expanding foam or burn them out of buildings. A charity network of around 50 volunteers brings the animals in, treats their injuries, removes parasites and nurses them back to health before release. Cara Legg…

Description from Al Jazeera English.