Frequently asked questions

All bats and their roosts are protected. If you find a bat while doing building work, the work should stop immediately and you or the builders should contact the relevant statutory conservation organisation, e.g. Natural England, Countryside Council for Wales or Scottish Natural Heritage depending on where you are located.  They will send a licensed bat worker to the site.

Natural England: 0114 241 8920
Countryside Council for Wales: 0845 1306 229
Scottish Natural Heritage: 01463 725 000

If you are not immediately involved with the work, and wish to report the disturbance as a crime, you should use our 24-hour cruelty and advice line 0300 1234 999 to report the incident. You could also contact your local police wildlife crime officer.

All work should be halted until an RSPCA inspector and/or police officer and/or bat worker arrives. The RSPCA will liaise with the police or local bat group and the Bat Conservation Trust as necessary.

Additional advice can be obtained from:
Bat Conservation Trust (BCT)
Helpline: 0845 1300 228
Email: enquiries@bats.org.uk

Caution:- Handling of any animal either domestic, wild, dead or alive may be potentially hazardous. Obvious dangers include bites, scratches and general hygiene issues. Always wear protective gloves if handling bats.  Common sense should be applied in all instances and, if unsure, additional advice or assistance should be sought. Personal hygiene should be taken into consideration after handling any animal, whether it’s domestic, wild, dead or alive.