It is technically illegal to both 'rescue' and 'rehab' bats in the state of IL, due to the IL Dept of Public Health and their ill-willed stances that "most bat have the Rabies virus" and "the only good bat is a dead bat".
This is unfortunate for IL bats and IL citizens, especially in light of the spread of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) to the Midwestern U.S. WNS has killed over 1 million insect-eating bats so far in the U.S.
Therefore, it is my opinion that every single one of our bats is important and truly makes a difference. Fortunately, Public Health Departments in 4 of IL's neighboring states (IA, IN, MO & WI) must have more sense than my state's lack of sense, as these states all have bat-friendly laws. Yes, it is actually perfectly legal to "help" bats in these states. Woo Hoo!!!
Fortunately I have friends and acquaintances that are bat rehabilitators in each of these states. And in March 2010, I was truly blessed to perform an out-of-state act that would have been regarded as highly illegal in the un(bat)friendly confines of IL....yes, yours truly released an overwintered Big Brown Bat (E. fuscus) back into the wild. This is always such an awesome experience! I placed the bat on a tree and waved bye as it flew off to join it's colony.
Success!!!
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