Ice-Covered Wings: Houston’s Wildlife Center Races To Save Frozen Bats!

Thousands of bats and dozens of green sea turtles have been hit hard by the frigid temperatures in Texas. The animals were stunned by this week’s deep freeze and had to be rescued and cared for.

Staff at the Houston Humane Society Wildlife Center rescued nearly 2,000 cold-stunned Mexican free-tailed bats from various colonies this week. 

“As temperatures look to remain below freezing throughout  the rest of today and overnight, our staff remain dedicated to helping as many cold-stunned bats as possible across the city,” the Houston Humane Society said.

The rescued bats are now being treated at the Wildlife Center with warmth, food and water. They will be released back into their colonies as soon as the weather is no longer a threat to their health.

The bats typically migrate through the Texas Hill Country and spend the winter in Mexico.

If you see a cold-stunned bat, please call the center’s wildlife hotline at 713-468-8971.

Turtles have also suffered from the cold temperatures. On Monday, dozens of cold-stunned green sea turtles were rescued along the Gulf Coast. The low temperatures are making them lethargic, with some unable to swim or float.

The nonprofit Sea Turtle, Inc. posted on X/twitter that they had rescued 74 turtles. The turtles are now being treated with heat and rehydrated. Once the turtles recover, they will be transferred to water tanks and released until the weather warms up.

If you find a stranded sea turtle, please call Sea Turtle, Inc. at 956-243-4361.