Wildlife - Orphan Baby Bat Creche and Adult Release Program

Annually we rescue and rehabilitate approximately 100 -120 orphan baby and injured adult flying foxes. Orphaned baby Flying-foxes come into care between October and February if their mothers become tangled in netting, caught on barbed wire or other (mostly human related) incident. Adult Flying foxes play a key role in coastal forest ecology. Flying-foxes are the worlds only flying mammal and are able to cross pollinate tall coastal forest trees. These hardwood species require flying foxes for pollination. Hardwood flowers are only receptive to pollination at night, so the daytime activity of birds and bees does not fertilise the flowers. Flying-foxes also fly much further than bees or most birds, so are able to cross-fertilise bushland over an area of up to 100km each night. It has also been estimated that a single flying fox can disperse up to 3000 seeds a night.

Carers meet the rescue and rehabilitation costs for these environmentally significant animals however the orphaned baby creche and adult release programs are equally cost intensive. Bats Qld (Flying Foxes & Microbats) Inc. fundraises to raise funds to offset the costs of the orphaned baby creche and rehabilitated adult release program to ease the financial burden on carers. Annually we require a minimum of one tonne (1000kgs) of fruit and 30 kg of high protein supplement to feed animals in the orphaned baby creches and adult release program right through to release. We also offer post release support feeding from between 4-8 weeks.

How will the funds be used?

The funds will be used exclusively to purchase fruit and high protein powder to feed Flying-foxes admitted to Orphan Baby Bat Creches and Rehabilitated Adult Release Program.

Key Areas of Expenditure

• The Apple Shed, Stanthorpe - minimum of 750 kg of apples
• The Big Orange, Gatton - minimum of 400 kgs of rockmelons, honey dew melons and other suitable fruits to supplement the apples
• Australian Wildlife Supplies - 30 kgs of Wombaroo High Protein Supplement (10 grams per bat per day)