Bat escapes German zoo by hiding in visitor's jacket

Oct. 24 (UPI) -- A bat escaped from a zoo in Germany by landing on a visiting woman and hiding in her clothes until she got home.

Elina Öfele, 30, said she and her young son walked through the bat cave at Karlsruhe Zoo in southwestern Germany last week, and when she got home she removed her jacket and a bat fell to the floor.

Öfele contacted an animal expert and put the bat in a box with honey water and a banana overnight to keep it fed and comfortable.

Her husband and son returned the bat to the zoo the following day.

A spokesman for the zoo said the leaf-nosed bat was returned to its habitat and is doing fine. He said it was the first time a bat had ever escaped from the zoo by stowing away with a visitor.