Orphaned baby bats find motherly love
When these babies lost their mums, they nearly lost their lives. Thanks to wildlife carers, the 'mother's love' they so desperately needed wasn't far away ...
PUBLISHED ON: 29 APRIL 2015
To a baby flying fox, their mother's love means life itself. These little guys are completely dependent on their mums — and flying foxes make good mums. A mother lives for her pup — spending hours in search of food so that they may both be nourished, and wrapping her little one in her wings as they both sleep. Without her protection, love and care — a pup simply won't survive.
So when these little flying foxes lost their mothers during a heatwave, the only chance they had at life was to find a mother's love elsewhere. And thankfully,they did.
Just like all babies, these guys are little bundles of joy — complete with 'blankies', special bat 'dummies' (aka plastic teats) — and of course, the doting love of their (adoptive) 'mums' from the Australian Bat Clinic.
Show flying foxes some love ...
Flying foxes are not only remarkable (not to mention adorable) little creatures — they're vital to our environment. Without them, not only would we never have the chance to see videos like this (could you imagine?!) — but quite simply, entire ecosystems could collapse.
But these native 'gardeners of the sky' have got it rough in Australia. Extreme weather events due to climate change are just one obstacle threatening the lives — and the very existence — of Australia's fruit bats. They also fall victim to habitat destruction due to land clearing, and are shot to keep them away from fruit trees. Pups can become orphaned when their mothers are entangled in tree netting — simply because people are not aware of the danger that unsafe netting can pose to native animals. Tragically, many die a slow and agonising death.
The good news is that helping Australia's fruit bats is something EVERYONE can do — and by creating awareness, thousands of lives can be saved (e.g. by learning the difference between 'safe' and 'unsafe' netting, or leaving water out for bats on hot days). By spreading the word on behalf of bats, you can help more of these remarkable creatures concentrate on what they do best: protecting our beautiful environment, and living their lives in peace.
Without the dedicated care of wildlife carers, like the team from the Australian Bat Clinic, countless bats would never get the chance to grow up to be the 'flying gardeners' they're renowned to be. If you're interested in learning how you can get involved in saving the lives of these unique animals, learn more about becoming a wildlife carer.
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