Back in February, my place of work had what you would call a "pest problem". The building was a home to bat nests. Several of them. From what I was told, bats have been living in the buildings around this area for almost a decade, if not more. Only recently (the beginning of this year) did they finally decide to do something about it. This was mainly because bats started flying through the building, doing laps around the warehouse, and entering other stores in the search for someplace dark and comfortable to sleep during the day.
Small, brown.. They look like Evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis). Other than the fact that they carry rabies, they're harmless. They don't attack people (unless provoked), and they're so adorable. I recently started doodling every morning at work before clocking in and I did this after witnessing the way my co-workers behaved toward these creatures. Some of them picked up broomsticks and other rod-like items and attempted to smack the poor things out of the air. Later, I'd hear them bragging about it (if they actually managed to hit one). It hurt. I was the only one, other than Pest Control, who was unafraid of the bats. I did my best to catch them and set them free outside. I managed to do this a good handful of times before I was ordered to stand down and leave it to professionals.

I haven't seen any bats in our building for about a month now. All their usual exits from our building have been sealed shut. I hope they all made it out. I know for a fact that one of them didn't. I went to work one morning to find one caught in the mesh trap they'd put up. It was supposed to be designed to let the bats out, but not back in. This one wanted back in. It got its wing stuck in the mesh wire and spent the better part of the morning trying to chew its way out. The sun rose high later that day and it was tuckered out by then. I'd asked my superiors if they were going to call about it. Help it. They said they were going to do another sweep later that day.
The following day, I found out that the poor thing got its head stuck in the mesh. It suffocated and died. I was hurt and upset that no one came for it until the following morning.

This piece was drawn in memory of that poor little bat. And where I normally don't care for the #, "[topic]LivesMatter", I used it here. Because it's true. At least, that's what I believe.

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