Wildlife Rescue
You found a bat
Macau's insect-eating and fruit bats (order Chiroptera)
A bat grounded in daylight, hanging in an odd spot indoors, or unable to fly is usually sick or injured. Bats can carry lyssavirus, a rabies-type virus, so the single most important rule is to never touch a bat with bare hands.
What to do
- Keep people and pets well away from the bat.
- If it is indoors and able to fly, open the windows and doors, dim the lights, and let it leave on its own.
- If it must be contained, wear thick gloves and never bare skin, then place a box or container over it and slide card underneath.
- Put the covered box somewhere quiet, dark and out of the sun, with a few small air holes.
- Do not offer food or water.
- Call IAM or Royal Veterinary Centre for advice, and if anyone was bitten or scratched, wash the wound with soap under running water for 15 minutes and seek medical care at once.
What NOT to do
- ×Do not handle a bat with bare hands, ever, use thick gloves and a container.
- ×Do not let children or pets near it.
- ×Do not keep it, release it, or transport it loose in a car.
- ×Do not ignore any bite, scratch or saliva contact, that is a medical emergency, not a wait-and-see.
When to step in
Contain the bat with gloves and call for help if it is on the ground, out in daylight, caught by a pet, or trapped indoors and unable to leave. A bat flying normally outdoors at dusk needs nothing from you.
See a vet urgently if...
- !On the ground or flying in full daylight
- !Unable to fly, or caught by a cat or dog
- !Any bite, scratch or saliva contact with a person or pet (urgent)
- !Trembling, disoriented or unusually aggressive behaviour
Who to call
IAM (Municipal Affairs Bureau) handles wildlife in Macau, Civic Service Hotline (853) 2833 7676. Royal Veterinary Centre can advise 24/7 on +853 6677 6611. For any human bite or scratch, go to a hospital emergency department for rabies risk assessment.
Legal note
Bats are protected wildlife, so keeping one is generally illegal in Macau, and any rescue must be handled through IAM and trained handlers because of the disease risk.
In Macau
Bats roost in older buildings, drainage voids and trees across Macau and occasionally fly into flats through open windows, where almost always they just need the room darkened and an open window so they can leave on their own.
Macau's insect-eating bats are natural pest controllers, and a single small bat can eat hundreds of mosquitoes and other insects in one night.
Related care sheets
General guidance reviewed by the Royal Veterinary Center team. Not a substitute for a veterinary examination. Always confirm species-specific and legal requirements for Macau.