Northern Ontario family driven batty by unwanted visitor

After Julie Townsend found a bat flying over her son's bunk bed, she learned she would have to catch it herself.

Townsend, who lives in the Lively area of Greater Sudbury, called every pest control business she could find online.

They all told her they don't kill bats because they are a protected species in Ontario. Capturing them alive also turned out to be a specialized job.

"And there's only one company in Sudbury that does it," Townsend said.

"They're super busy because I found out later they're the only company north of Barrie that handles bat removal as well as bat-proofing the house."

Townsend's next call was to Public Health Sudbury and Districts, who recommended her entire family get the rabies vaccine in case the bat was infected.

Earlier this year a man from southern Ontario was bitten by a bat in northern Ontario's Temiskaming District, and later tested positive for rabies. It was Ontario's first human case of rabies in 50 years.

"Apparently, like, bat bites you can't even see them," Townsend said.

In addition to the vaccines, the health unit told Townsend she should bring the bat to a veterinarian who could see if it had rabies.

But the bat had seemingly disappeared by that point.

"A few days go by and we keep looking," Townsend said.

"My husband gets home from work that night. He looks again and still can't find the bat. And a few days go by. I wake up again at six in the morning. I'm up in the kitchen with the kids and it's in the kitchen at this point."

Townsend's father lent her family a fishing net to catch the bat.

It was her husband who managed to catch the bat while it was perched on some curtains in the living room.