Welfare and Handling Recommendations for Bat Surveys in Canada
Krista J. Patriquin1,2*, Lori Phinney1, Scott McBurney3, Dave L. McRuer4, Robert M.R. Barclay5, Hugh G. Broders6, Alice Crook7, Paul A. Faure8, Jessica Humber9, Alyssa Hunter10, Megan Jones3, Thomas S. Jung11,12, Cori L. Lausen13, Daniela Losada3,14, Tessa McBurney3, John M. Ratcliffe15, Jordi L. Segers3, Darrian Washinger3, and Craig K.R. Willis16
1Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, Kempt, NS B0T 1B0, Canada. 2WSP, Halifax, NS B3B 1X7 Canada. 3Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Atlantic Region, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada. 4Parks Canada Agency, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada. 5Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada. 6Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada. 7Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada. 8Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada. 9Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Corner Brook, NL A2H 7E1, Canada. 10Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation, Corner Brook, NL A2H 2Z4, Canada. 11Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 4Y9, Canada. 12Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada. 13Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, Kaslo, BC V0G 1M0, Canada. 14Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, United Kingdom. 15Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada 16Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2M5, Canada. *Corresponding author.
Journal of North American Bat Research Monographs, Volume 4 (2026):1–67
Abstract
Concern for bats and their protection has steadily increased globally over the past 2 decades, including in Canada. This heightened interest has resulted in increased population and health monitoring and greater regulatory requirements for bat-related work, compared to the past. There is also increased awareness about bat welfare when handling, particularly with respect to pathogen transmission. Although guidelines for effective techniques to study bats exist, such recommendations rarely mention explicitly how best to prioritize animal welfare. Instead, safe handling practices are implicit, often passed down from mentor to mentee, and the collective wisdom is seldom permanently recorded. Here, we provide recommendations based on consensus reached through review of existing published materials and thoughtful discussion among leading experts with cultural knowledge that spans decades. These recommendations are not meant to be prescriptive but, instead, describe the latest best practices for capturing and handling bats to promote their welfare during capture-markrecapture surveys. We provide recommendations related to biosafety; capture and removal from nets and traps; techniques for restraint, handling, holding, and release; methods for short- and long-term marking; collection of biological samples; photography; euthanasia; and health surveillance.
Download Full-text pdf (Open access)
Access Journal Content
Open access browsing of all JNABR content.
Journal of North American Bat Research is valued by the academic, agency, NGO, and private-sector research community as a respected and trusted source for science related to all aspects of the biology, ecology, and conservation of bats, Order Chiroptera, and their habitats in North America, from Canada to Panama, and the West Indies (Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and Lesser Antilles). Manuscripts based on studies outside this region that provide information on species within the region may be considered at the Editor’s discretion.