Man issues warning after making unusual discovery on a bike path: 'Do not touch ... with bare hands'

No matter how fuzzy and cute something appears, it's important to remember that wild animals are indeed wild.

Andrew W. Legan (@insectevolving), a biologist, reiterated that valuable advice on TikTok after observing a disoriented bat on a bike path.

@insectsevolving #bat #wildlife #animal ♬ original sound - Andrew Wesley Legan, PhD

In the video, the bat appeared to be in distress, making some high-pitched sounds and potentially fighting off sleep. Legan contacted wildlife rescue for advice, and they urged him to move the bat safely. 

Critically, he did that in a creative and smart way that ensured both the animal's and handler's safety.

"Do not touch bat with bare hands, I used bark to transport the bat," Legan's on-screen caption explained.

Bats can carry rabies. That's why the Washington State Department of Health and other health organizations advise people to avoid touching them directly. There's a distinct chance that if a bat is even letting you get close enough to touch it is sick.

It's best for everyone if bats are handled safely and returned to play their vital role in the ecosystem. That includes aiding in pollination and insect control, which benefits agriculture immensely to the tune of billions of dollars in those roles. They also help reduce pesticide use, which comes with an assortment of bad spillover effects on the ecosystem.

It's especially important to protect bats considering threats to bats as their North American numbers fall precipitously. It's another reason to be careful with well-meaning solutions like bat boxes to make sure that they actually help conservation efforts.

Bats are very adaptable creatures. Changes to the climate like elevated temperatures, however, are putting even more pressure on their survival skills. That makes it extra important that humans take extra care in conserving them safely, like Legan did.

Commenters on TikTok appreciated Legan's caution while admiring the bat that was affectionately referred to as a "sky puppy."

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One gushed: "Aww little brown bat I think! Hopefully it was okay!"

"Amazing animal with amazing vocalizations," Legan himself remarked.

"That's a beautiful bat!" another TikToker wrote. "I rescue them whenever I can in my line of work."

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