Bernie the bat is free again after hitching stowaway trip to Hartlepool

The now 10cm pipistrelle – now named Bernie – made national headlines after he was discovered in the boot of a Vauxhall Grandland X car at the Drive Vauxhall garage, in Burn Road, Hartlepool, in July this year.

With the vehicle having started its journey at a factory in France, Bernie was originally dubbed a “cross-channel furry”.

Now, however, the truth may lie at the company’s Kent compound or at some point during the subsequent journey north.

Gwynevere Kipling, a bat carer and member of Durham Bat Group, who has looked after Bernie for two months, said: “It was initially presumed that he came from France in the boot of the car.

"However, after speaking to staff we believe it’s more likely that he snuck in somewhere between the compound in Kent and arriving at the showroom in Hartlepool.

“Bernie wasn’t in bad shape considering he’d been in a car boot for some time.

"He had no injuries but seemed reluctant to fly. We believe this is because he’d been in a confined space.

The group has now released him into an area populated by bats, with Ms Kipling adding: “We gave him warmth, food, water and plenty of space as well as regular exercise and eventually he built up his strength and gained in confidence flying again."

Adam Grogan, head of the RSPCA’s wildlife team, said: “It’s wonderful to see Bernie fit, healthy and back in the wild where he belongs.

“We’d like to thank Gwyn and her team at Durham Bat Group for their commitment to helping these wonderful creatures.

"The RSPCA rescues a large number of bats every year and we take many into our specialist wildlife centres to rehabilitate them. But we also rely on a network of dedicated bat carers to take care of many of them before they’re ready to be released.”

Anyone spotting a bat in distress is urged to contact the RSPCA’s emergency line on 0300 1234 999 or the National Bat Helpline on 0345 1300 228.

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