Bat Rescue
I attended a Bat rescue yesterday, to a dead mother and her alive babies, twins which are rarer.
The caller, a nice young lady, had found the body on a busy road and moved it off. Not being sure how she died it is remarkable that they all weren't run over, as it is likey she got there during the night, and the call didn't come in til about 2pm-3pm? Can't remember. I was in the middle of making dough.....
After finally locating the lady and examining the babies, with dead mother 'n all I rushed off to my Aunt's place, (the carer, and the one who got me into this). One of the babies cried during the way home, and I drove with one hand justy resting over him, to give him my warmth, and maybe some Reiki. He was the most alert, the other was huddled in her wings and handn't moved much at all.
I got them home, rang Aunt, found some sterile water, and tried to get some water into them. They are soooo young, barely with any hair. I figured out that the second one was attached to a teat, but as I was trying to find soemthing to cut the teat she disingaged herself. It was difficult getting her to let go of mum with her clawed toes but we got there in the end. She is adorable. I get some water into her, and she cries and clambers over my hand, 'til she gets into a comfortable and safe spot. She peers at me through unfocusing eyes, and her tiny tiny pink tongue laps at the water still on her lips. I attend her brother, try to feed him, but he no longer makes any noise. Don't give up i plead.
My aunt and her friend arrives. We establish that they perhaps are just born, either the mother died just after, or perhaps the act of dying expelled them from her womb. The other one is actually still attached to the placenta, and we have to cut the umbilical cord.
As our friend goes to get milk, my aunt and I try to keep them warm, with hot water bottles and we have to sterilize all bottles and teats and jars, as they are too young to deal with germs. They both weigh 66grams. after a bit of trouble we sex them; I was correct! My intuition that had me calling one 'she' and one 'he', without looking, was spot on.
My aunt is able to give the girl milk; She is the older twin, she had already found a teat, was a bit more furred and her umbilicus had broken; her brother, he still hasn't responded. He has moved a little, made a few noises, but now lies still, in bat-foetal position. Don't give up little one.
But he has. He died. So quietly, we can barely determine he actually has gone. My aunt gives mouth to mouth, to no avail. He was the smaller, the second twin. Barely any hair. It is very sad. The little girl has lost her sibling. But hopefully she'll go okay, and thrive, and be cared for until she can rejoin the wild spaces, the trees and the skies.
Flying foxes are extremely important for the ecosystem, the rainforest. They need the trees, and the trees need them. They are the major pollinators for our rainforests, our euchalypts, natives. But the bats also need the trees to live, to roost, to sleep, to raise their babies.
Please be gentle with them. They are exceedingly intelligent, and some scientists think they should be included with the primates.
Just don't touch them, or let them bite you. Or they will have to be put down.
Ring Bat Rescue, or parks and wildlife, or rspca, or one of the other many wildlife caring organisations.
Always check dead ones, because, like this poor dead mother, who probably never saw her beautiful twins, she may be carrying babies who are alive, and in dire need of help. And never, ever, leave one alive to die slow deaths on barbwire. It is exceedlingly cruel. Many of them have be put down, but imagine dying slowly of starvation, dehydration, injuries, in the hot sun, over a number of days. Call someone!! Please.
http://www.batrescue.org.au/
The caller, a nice young lady, had found the body on a busy road and moved it off. Not being sure how she died it is remarkable that they all weren't run over, as it is likey she got there during the night, and the call didn't come in til about 2pm-3pm? Can't remember. I was in the middle of making dough.....
After finally locating the lady and examining the babies, with dead mother 'n all I rushed off to my Aunt's place, (the carer, and the one who got me into this). One of the babies cried during the way home, and I drove with one hand justy resting over him, to give him my warmth, and maybe some Reiki. He was the most alert, the other was huddled in her wings and handn't moved much at all.
I got them home, rang Aunt, found some sterile water, and tried to get some water into them. They are soooo young, barely with any hair. I figured out that the second one was attached to a teat, but as I was trying to find soemthing to cut the teat she disingaged herself. It was difficult getting her to let go of mum with her clawed toes but we got there in the end. She is adorable. I get some water into her, and she cries and clambers over my hand, 'til she gets into a comfortable and safe spot. She peers at me through unfocusing eyes, and her tiny tiny pink tongue laps at the water still on her lips. I attend her brother, try to feed him, but he no longer makes any noise. Don't give up i plead.
My aunt and her friend arrives. We establish that they perhaps are just born, either the mother died just after, or perhaps the act of dying expelled them from her womb. The other one is actually still attached to the placenta, and we have to cut the umbilical cord.
As our friend goes to get milk, my aunt and I try to keep them warm, with hot water bottles and we have to sterilize all bottles and teats and jars, as they are too young to deal with germs. They both weigh 66grams. after a bit of trouble we sex them; I was correct! My intuition that had me calling one 'she' and one 'he', without looking, was spot on.
My aunt is able to give the girl milk; She is the older twin, she had already found a teat, was a bit more furred and her umbilicus had broken; her brother, he still hasn't responded. He has moved a little, made a few noises, but now lies still, in bat-foetal position. Don't give up little one.
But he has. He died. So quietly, we can barely determine he actually has gone. My aunt gives mouth to mouth, to no avail. He was the smaller, the second twin. Barely any hair. It is very sad. The little girl has lost her sibling. But hopefully she'll go okay, and thrive, and be cared for until she can rejoin the wild spaces, the trees and the skies.
Flying foxes are extremely important for the ecosystem, the rainforest. They need the trees, and the trees need them. They are the major pollinators for our rainforests, our euchalypts, natives. But the bats also need the trees to live, to roost, to sleep, to raise their babies.
Please be gentle with them. They are exceedingly intelligent, and some scientists think they should be included with the primates.
Just don't touch them, or let them bite you. Or they will have to be put down.
Ring Bat Rescue, or parks and wildlife, or rspca, or one of the other many wildlife caring organisations.
Always check dead ones, because, like this poor dead mother, who probably never saw her beautiful twins, she may be carrying babies who are alive, and in dire need of help. And never, ever, leave one alive to die slow deaths on barbwire. It is exceedlingly cruel. Many of them have be put down, but imagine dying slowly of starvation, dehydration, injuries, in the hot sun, over a number of days. Call someone!! Please.
http://www.batrescue.org.au/
posted by Bright Tiger | 6:19 pm
2 Comments:
I thought they normally only had one baby, not twins?
What has happened to baby girl bat now? Is aunt caring for her?
They usually have one, but, like us they can occasionally have twins.
Yes, she is being cared for by my aunt.
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