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.

We provide an efficient and humane service to rescue and rehabilitate injured and orphaned bats and return them to the wild as soon as possible.

We disseminate accurate information through literature, community events and talks to the general public about the importance of bats.

We are active advocates in the conservation of bats and their habitat.

We offer advice on helping to provide and improve habitats for bats as well as identifying botanical species that can be injurious to bats.

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

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.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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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.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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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.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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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.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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Our volunteer had an unusual dilemma at this barbed wire rescue! Access to the commercial property on the easiest side of the fence was locked. The other side was steep and high, with the flying-fox caught on the wire way out of reach.

Bat rescuers never give up! With some quick thinking and fast-talking, our volunteer cheekily persuaded two painters working on a nearby property to lend her their high ladder. These wonderful guys from Team Painting & Texture Coatings cheerfully agreed, and even carried the ladder to the rescue site and set it up! Sheen, as he was called, was quickly retrieved from the barbed wire and transported to the RSPCA for assessment. Thank you to everyone involved in Sheen’s rescue.

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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.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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A caller to our hotline reported that they had seen a bat crawling around their balcony. However, by the time our rescuer arrived the bat seemed to have disappeared! During a search of the area, a cute little face was spotted peeking out from her hiding place.

Jay, as she has been named, is a juvenile grey-headed flying-fox. We are not sure how Jay got herself into such a predicament, but we are very grateful to the property owner for taking the trouble to find help. Jay appears to be healthy, but is very thin. She is now in ‘juvenile detention’ receiving nutritious food to help her achieve the weight that she should be for her age. We are confident Jay will mend her ways and pursue a normal seed-dispersal and pollination career instead of continuing a life of crime and home invasion 😉!

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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.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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We have had quite a number of malnourished youngsters arriving into care recently.

Piccolo is yet another juvenile flying-fox whose early attempts at independence haven’t gone so well. Not only is Piccolo very underweight for his age, he also managed to get himself caught on a barbed wire fence which was obscured by nearby foliage. Poor Piccolo! However, his luck turned when he was reported to our hotline and rescued. Piccolo is now recovering in care, enjoying generous servings of a nutritious daily buffet that he doesn’t have to find for himself.
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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.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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Dingus was heard crying from a tree in the garden of a caring family who gave us a call to help him. Poor Dingus was only half the weight he should be. At three months old, he should still be feeding from his mum during the day. Sadly, something must have happened to separate them and he was trying to survive on his own. The family who found him gave him his fun name.

Dingus was cared for by one of our carers who is passionate about (and very good at) fattening up skinny juvenile flying-foxes. She already had quite a few when Dingus arrived, so he spent some time at “the salon” having his toenails painted a fetching shade of green for ID purposes. Now a healthier weight, he’ll spend more time with other bats in a flight aviary before we release him for his second chance at life.

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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.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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Meet Esther Williams. She was named after a famous American competitive swimming champion and actress back in the 1940s and 50s. As you can see, young Esther is a very good swimmer!

Flying-foxes drink by skimming low over water to dip their bellies and then fly off to lick the drips. Due to inexperience or accident, 12 week old Esther ended up in a backyard swimming pool and did several laps until she was rescued. We don’t have a photo to share of Esther being scooped out of the pool, but she did demonstrate afterwards just what thirsty work swimming is!

By the way, the insect photobomber who makes an unwelcome appearance in the video is commonly known as a ‘batfly’. These creepy-looking critters are host-specific parasites that are more annoying than harmful to bats.

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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.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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Flying-foxes rescued due to paralysis syndrome seem to be tapering off, thankfully, but regular rescues of bats in trouble continue. Agate, who has a stunning salt and pepper speckled belly, flew into a pergola then ended up on a screen door. He injured his left leg in the process but it’s improving every day.

Moonstone was feeding in a tree that was too close to powerlines and got a zap to his right wing. It flung him to the ground where he gashed his nose. He has a dressing over one of his burns. Both of these beautiful big adult black flying-fox boys have been checked by vets at the RSPCA QLD Wildlife Hospital (Wacol) – thank you! They are now recuperating in care, but are rather keen to return to the wild as soon as possible….. because autumn is mating season 😉!

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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.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
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