From the moment you see this bat "flying" while a caretaker holds him aloft, you have to love Statler. He is a 33-year-old one-eyed Indian flying fox, believed to be the world's oldest bat in captivity. The odds of a bat living that long in the wild are pretty small. But after a lifetime of shuffling from zoos to menageries to other institutions, Statler is now getting the best care possible in his retirement.
Statler lives at Bat World Sanctuary in Texas. They have a "geribatric" ward, in which the elderly bats can hang from their feet if they want, but there are hammocks slung underneath them in case they get tired and fall. Taking care of elderly animals is a science, and these folks are putting in the effort to give Statler and other older bats a good retirement. -via Fark
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