Earlier this month, a grey-headed flying fox named Narelle found herself in a precarious situation. The curious bat had been soaring through an Australian suburb one evening when she mistakenly collided with a dark-colored concrete wall. Now, Narelle’s head was injured and she could barely fly. Unable to get very far, Narelle hung from a water tap, perhaps waiting for help to come.
When local animal advocates heard about Narelle’s situation, they quickly dispatched help to the scene. Soon, an experienced rescuer named Inga from WIRES Wildlife Rescue arrived.
Inga gently removed Narelle from the tap. Then, she transported the bat to Avian, Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital for further examination. Vets noticed that Narelle didn’t have any obvious injuries, so they passed her off to experts at Sydney Wildlife Rescue for longer-term care.
Safe at the rescue, Narelle has been regaining her strength and making new friends.
“[She] is doing well, although she still has a bit of a sore head from flying into the wall,” a representative from Sydney Wildlife Rescue told The Dodo. “She is eating well and has the company of two other grey-headed flying foxes, who are also recovering from their respective ordeals.”
Once she’s strong enough, Narelle will move to a flight aviary at the rescue, where she’ll have more room to explore. Next season, once winter has passed, Narelle and her new pals will be released back into the wild, where they belong.
“It has become quite cold here in Sydney, so they will stay in care until it warms up again and there is more food around,” the representative said.
Rescuers from Sydney Wildlife Rescue encourage anyone who sees a bat alone or out during daylight hours to maintain a careful distance and avoid touching the animal unless trained and vaccinated. Anyone who finds a bat in need should contact their local wildlife organization so that a trained rescuer can help.
If everyone does their part to watch out for the wild world around them, sweet animals like Narelle will continue to live the lives they deserve.
