Help Baby Bats Take Flight!

by Sydney Wildlife
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!
Help Baby Bats Take Flight!

Project Report | Apr 3, 2022
Time for a Road Trip

By Fiona Bassett | Project Manager

Hazel 3 weeks old, having a milk feed
Hazel 3 weeks old, having a milk feed

Thank you so much for all your generous donations that enable us to continue to rescue, rehabilitate and release back into the wild the flying-foxes that come into care. We could not do it without your help

It has been an interesting season, with lower than usual numbers of pups coming into care in Sydney and surrounds. This has not been the case in other parts of the New South Wales where they have been inundated with pups. Carers in Sydney have helped by taking the overflow of pups to raise and we have then sent them back up north for crèche and release.

We have still had the usual number of adults and sub-adults that have needed to be rescued – caught in fruit netting, collisions with cars or buildings, or poor first flight of this year’s juveniles. The extreme weather over the last few months has also not helped, where we have had continued excessive rainfall, causing flooding in many areas of New South Wales and negatively affecting the food supply of the flying -foxes. Many of the rescued bats have come into care underweight in addition to their various injuries.

We have just finished with our last group of adult and sub-adult flying-foxes through the release aviary Kukundi and opened that hatch for them last weekend. This group have dispersed very quickly – sometimes it takes weeks for the last to leave and for us to stop support feeding them. Obviously in a hurry to leave, which is great. During their final pre-release health check, we were surprised to find two mums with very young pups on board. Surprised as these pups are very late babies - only born in late February. It was decided that it would be less stressful for them to be transported north for a soft release option and where they could be monitored more closely during their release.

So, a road trip up north was planned. Along with the 2 mums and pups, I still had some juveniles in care that also needed to go north either for creche or to be released. 18 flying-foxes in total took the car trip up north with my daughter and I to Bellingen (a 6-hour road trip). Three of the juveniles in the trip included

  • Hazel who came to me mid-January at 3 weeks old (another late pup). She is now 12 weeks old and ready for pup creche. She was a delight to raise and reached all her bat pup milestones with crèche being the last one.
  • Bonsai who was found on his own on March 3 at 12 weeks of age and very underweight, hence the name Bonsai. Possibly first flight mishap. A curious boy with loads of personality and a big appetite.
  • Tilt, another juvenile 15 weeks old who came to me on 5 March. She was found on the ground and had a significant head tilt to the right indicating that she had most likely collided with something. She was also very underweight. Over the last few weeks her head tilt gradually disappeared and she was gaining weight. Another candidate for the trip up north.

We feel privileged that you selected our project to support out of so many wonderful causes. By adding your donation, you've become a part of our community of supporters, and we're thrilled to have you on the team.

Please consider telling your friends and family about our project. Sharing with your community about why you chose to support our organization will help us increase the work we can do to support the flying-foxes.

Hazel 12 weeks old
Hazel 12 weeks old
Tilt
Tilt
Bonsai enjoying his fruit
Bonsai enjoying his fruit
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Organization Information

Sydney Wildlife

Location: Sydney, NSW - Australia
Website:
Project Leader:
Susan Smith
Sydney , NSW Australia

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