ABOUT BAT CONSERVATION AND RESCUE QLD
Bat Conservation and Rescue Qld
is a registered not-for-profit volunteer organization that strives to help people understand the importance
of all bat species, to provide a prompt and humane rescue service, to raise orphans and to rehabilitate injured bats before returning them to the wild.
BCRQ offers this free 24/7 community service all year round including public holidays.
I HAVE FOUND A BAT
SEEK HELP – PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH BATS!
CALL OUR RESCUE HOTLINE ON 0488 228 134
If a bat bites or scratches a human, it may have to be destroyed and sent for testing for Australian Bat Lyssavirus – do not risk the bat’s life or your health. Only people trained and Rabies vaccinated should handle bats.
A flying-fox hanging on overhead power lines may still be alive. Even if dead, it may be a mother with a live baby tucked up under her wing. Please call BCRQ immediately.
If you find a flying-fox caught on a barbed wire fence, please very carefully and without touching it, throw a towel over the bat to help keep it calm. Then call BCRQ immediately.
If you find a flying-fox caught in fruit tree netting, do not try and cut the bat out of the net but call BCRQ immediately.
If the bat is on the ground, please cover the bat with a cardboard box or a washing basket to contain it and call BCRQ immediately.
Any bat by itself through the day is in trouble.
Keep children and pets away from the bat to help minimise its stress and remember, NO TOUCH NO RISK!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
BECOME A MEMBER
Join as an active or associate member. BCRQ offers free training to members.
MAKE A DONATION
Donate via Bank Transfer or PayPal.
All donations of $2.00 and over are tax deductible.
Facebook Posts
Sooty, another first flyer, was feeding in a tree near the entrance to an underground car park in a city location. The sound of the garage door opening, or some other noise, startled him. He took off in fright - straight into the underground carpark! Poor Sooty (who earned his name from how grubby he was), flew around for a couple of days trying to find his way out. He had nothing to eat or drink during this time.
Sooty was spotted by a resident hanging on her walking frame. Later he flew onto the vehicle you can see, hanging from the roof rack. Not knowing what to do, this lady called 000 and asked for the Fire Service. For some of our overseas friends this is the equivalent of 911. While some helpful firies did attend, thankfully our hotline was also contacted. Sooty was captured by our rescuer and brought into care. Sooty is recovering from some bumps and scuffs and regaining weight. He has an unusual ruff that extends down his back and up onto the back of his head in a star shape. We think you’re a star, Sooty!
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If you see a bat on its own in the daytime, it needs help. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE BAT and give us a call immediately on 0488 228 134 for Brisbane and surrounds, or your local wildlife rescue in other regions.
Dear Bilby is a first flyer. He is only three months old and just starting out in life when he became entangled on a barbed wire fence on Easter Sunday. He’s an Easter Bilby! Thank you to the kind person who called us to rescue him.
Bilby has injuries to the membrane of both his right leg and right wing which are healing well. He’s certainly making the most of the banana on offer while he recovers!
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If you see a bat on its own in the daytime, it needs help. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE BAT and give us a call immediately on 0488 228 134 for Brisbane and surrounds, or your local wildlife rescue in other regions.
Like the metal after which she is named, Osmium is a stunningly beautiful flying-fox. With an impressive forearm measurement of 176mm, she’s an older lady who clearly has great survival skills. Unfortunately these skills weren’t enough to fend off paralysis syndrome when she ingested the mystery toxin which causes this condition. Happily she made a full recovery. She celebrated her release back to the wild with a magnificent loop above our heads before landing in the camp.
Stay well beautiful Osmium. ❤
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If you see a bat on its own in the daytime, it needs help. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE BAT and give us a call immediately on 0488 228 134 for Brisbane and surrounds, or your local wildlife rescue in other regions.
Goldie is only three months old. She was just beginning to learn how to survive in the wild, when she was snatched by a predator one night – most likely a cat that was allowed to roam free and hunt nocturnal wildlife. She bravely fought it off and escaped, but the bacteria on her attacker’s teeth caused an abscess to grow on Goldie’s neck. She struggled to find food during this time and became thinner and thinner.
A caring man saw her in his Golden Penda (he named her after this tree) and shared a photo in a family chat because he was taken with how cute she is. Luckily his sister knew that any bat on its own in the day time needs help and encouraged her brother to call us, as well as agreeing on the cuteness! Thank you ❤. Goldie is doing well, regaining weight and rebuilding her strength.
Cats make lovely pets and live longer, happier and healthier lives when kept indoors. It’s irresponsible (and illegal in our area), to allow a cat to roam freely. They cause untold carnage to wildlife. If you have a cat and you currently allow it to roam, even a little, please consider keeping it inside or using an outdoor cat enclosure.
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If you see a bat on its own in the daytime, it needs help. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE BAT and give us a call immediately on 0488 228 134 for Brisbane and surrounds, or your local wildlife rescue in other regions.
Remember Esther the swimming bat posted earlier this month? Sadly another juvenile bat (only about three months old) went for a drink in that very same pool, hit the glass fence and ended up in the water. The resident’s dog was barking one morning so she checked the pool but there was nothing to be seen. The dog persisted so she looked more closely and saw two feet hanging onto the lid of the skimmer box.
Skimmer, as he has been named, wasn’t underweight like Esther. He had a good rest after his exhausting ordeal, enjoying a dish of mango in his ICU. He then joined the other bats to continue his recovery in a flight aviary. The welcoming committee gave him the usual ‘sniff test’ that all newcomers receive.
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If you see a bat on its own in the daytime, it needs help. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE BAT and give us a call immediately on 0488 228 134 for Brisbane and surrounds, or your local wildlife rescue in other regions.
Unlike the typical industrial locations that our volunteers attend for barbed wire rescues, this young grey-headed flying-fox managed to get into trouble in a much more scenic area. Kat the bat was rescued from beautiful Wights Mountain in Yuggera country. The damage to Kat’s wing membrane is fortunately not too extensive, which is a positive sign that she will make a full recovery from her injuries. In the meantime, sweet-natured Kat is doing well and has become best buddies with another flying-fox who is also recovering in care.
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If you see a bat on its own in the daytime, it needs help. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE BAT and give us a call immediately on 0488 228 134 for Brisbane and surrounds, or your local wildlife rescue in other regions.
After crashing into a roof, an injured bat spent two days in a tall tree near a backyard swimming pool. Despite a terrible elbow injury, the adult male flying-fox was still surprisingly agile. Two of our volunteers who attended the rescue site armed with rescue poles were faced with several challenges. As well as the swimming pool blocking their way, the bat was at a height of over 4 metres - and the tree was covered in bees!
One rescuer wore a swimsuit in case either she or the bat fell into the water during the rescue attempt. Of course, this ensured no one did end up in the pool and the bat was retrieved without anyone getting wet – or being stung by angry bees.
We are grateful to the kind property owner who called our rescue hotline, and for the flowering lilly pilly she donated as a treat for bats in our care.
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If you see a bat on its own in the daytime, it needs help. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE BAT and give us a call immediately on 0488 228 134 for Brisbane and surrounds, or your local wildlife rescue in other regions.
Riley is an adult black flying-fox who was belly-dipping to get a drink from a backyard pool when he had a mishap and ended up in the water. The house is vacant at the moment, and as you can see by the water colour, the pool isn’t being maintained. Riley was very lucky that a real estate agent happened to see him during a visit to the property and kindly fished him out of the pool. A soggy Riley managed to hang on a nearby pot plant until our rescuer arrived to collect him.
Assessment by the RSPCA vets revealed that Riley has developed pneumonia as a result of his accident. With appropriate care and treatment, we are hopeful that Riley will make a full recovery.
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If you see a bat on its own in the daytime, it needs help. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE BAT and give us a call immediately on 0488 228 134 for Brisbane and surrounds, or your local wildlife rescue in other regions.
Late one night, while helping himself to a snack from a backyard fruit tree, André became trapped in large aperture netting (i.e. with holes large enough to poke a finger through) which the property owner had installed to protect the fruit from birds and bats. The more André struggled, the more badly he became entangled. It took our rescuer quite some time to cut off the tight strands.
Netting cases remain in our care for three weeks to monitor their injuries, which are not always immediately apparent. André’s face was swollen where he had cut his mouth trying to chew the netting off, but fortunately he escaped serious damage otherwise. After several weeks of RnR, André was released back to his home colony. He was in peak condition, weighing just over 900 gms (which is a very good weight for an adult male black flying-fox).
The property owner was delighted to hear that André recovered completely. He has since purchased wildlife-friendly netting which protects fruit without harming wildlife. There is a range of products available such as Hail Guard, Fruit Saver Nets or bags – preferably choose the white coloured which is more visible to nocturnal animals.
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If you see a bat on its own in the daytime, it needs help. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE BAT and give us a call immediately on 0488 228 134 for Brisbane and surrounds, or your local wildlife rescue in other regions.
Flying-foxes regularly get themselves into trouble when feeding on the fruit of the introduced Cocos (or Queen) Palm. There are a variety of reasons why these palms are hazardous to flying-foxes. The fruit, when unripe and eaten green, can be fatal. It is also very hard and causes premature tooth wear. In addition, the fruit can become permanently lodged in the mouth of a flying-fox leading to slow death by starvation.
Another major danger posed to flying-foxes is entanglement in loose fronds, or by entrapment in the Cocos Palm’s frond sheath. The sheath, known as a ‘spathe’, tapers at one end, easily trapping the feet of flying-foxes which can cause horrendous injuries.
In the case of this black flying-fox named Roman, one foot was trapped, and he broke a toe trying in vain to free himself. Bats trapped in Cocos Palm spathes often have their toes amputated, but Roman was fortunate and had his toe pinned by the wonderful vets at RSPCA.
The Cocos Palm is a declared weed in Queensland and a regular hazard to flying-foxes. Please consider removing any of these palms that you might have in your garden.
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If you see a bat on its own in the daytime, it needs help. PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THE BAT and give us a call immediately on 0488 228 134 for Brisbane and surrounds, or your local wildlife rescue in other regions.