Bats, often misunderstood and underappreciated, play a vital role in our ecosystems as pollinators and pest controllers. While they might not receive the same attention as more conventionally cute animals, many rescue organizations around the world are dedicated to rehabilitating and nurturing these unique creatures. 1. Statler Source: The Dodo/YouTube Born at a zoo […]
Tag: flying fox
With hundreds of call-outs every day, wildlife rescue services can help Australians understand threats to native animals
Imagine coming across an injured kangaroo on the side of the road. Or a bat entangled in fruit tree netting. Would you know who to call to get help? After a quick search, you find the number of your local wildlife rescue service and give them a call. A trained operator gathers the information they […]
Education can change local perception of bats, help conserve species, study says
Increasing knowledge of ecosystem services is key to conserving bats and supporting communities in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province, according to a recent study published in the journal Biodiversitas. Researchers quizzed members of local communities around the Batang Toru ecosystem to understand their perception of bat populations. The researchers found that local communities have limited knowledge […]
Rescued Baby Flying Fox is Pampered Before His Release Back Into the Wild
This baby bat named Halloumi was found still alive on his electrocuted mom. Although sadly she couldn’t be saved, TikToker Jasmine Vink, a vaccinated and licensed bat rehabilitator and ecologist in Australia, brought Halloumi home and gave him some much-needed TLC. She wrapped him up in a warm blanket and decided that she would raise […]
Australia confirms extinction of 13 more species, including first reptile since colonisation
The Australian government has officially acknowledged the extinction of 13 endemic species, including 12 mammals and the first reptile known to have been lost since European colonisation. The addition of the dozen mammal species confirms Australia’s unenviable position as the world’s capital for mammal extinction, lifting the total number of mammals known to have died […]
POLL: Should Mauritian flying foxes be culled to protect farmers’s fruit trees?
The culling of fruit bats in recent years to protect crops in Mauritius has pushed the species closer to extinction, and now the government is planning to do it again. One problem, scientists say, is that killing bats might not boost harvests. Until now, growers and the government have been operating on the assumption, based […]
Hundreds of flying foxes die in searing Australian heat
A colony of flying foxes has been nearly wiped out by extreme heat in Campbelltown in south-west Sydney, according to environmentalists. The Help Save the Wildlife and Bushlands in Campbelltown campaign posted a series of images to Facebook showing the corpses of the animals lying in the ground, apparently after they had died from dehydration […]
Notorious Bat Killer Found to Have a Weak Link
Mysterious cases of white-nose syndrome plague thousands of bats each year, frosting their snouts in toxic, white fungus. But researchers are fighting back against the dark reality—with light. A new study, published January 2 in the journal Nature Communications, shows that ultraviolet rays, the light source behind black lights and sunburns, irreparably break down the […]