Bats Qld (Flying Foxes & Microbats) Inc.
Bats Qld
Found a Bat?
Please don't touch it, call our 24-hour rescue hotline 0447 222 889 (Gold Coast) or 46975122 (Lockyer Valley) and
we will send an experienced volunteer rescuer. We do not charge for our services. Our rescuers are all volunteers who rescue and rehabilitate
bats free of charge as a community service. They receive no government funding and are not paid for their time. Donations are always
welcomed to pay for petrol, phone bills, fruit and veterinary supplies.
Why do bats need rescuing?
Bats in the wild have very few predators, however as human habitation encroaches on their habitat, bats are coming into care for a variety of reasons:
Backyard fruit-protection netting kills countless bats, birds, snakes and marsupials each year. Fruit isn’t the preferred food of
flying foxes - they would rather eat native nectar and pollen. If there is not much native food around, however, bats will eat fruit
in backyard gardens and orchards. They invariably get caught in netting.
If you see a bat in a net, it will not ‘get itself out’
it will die a long, slow death. Call our 24-hour bat rescue line immediately. Do not attempt to rescue the bat – a frightened
bat will bite and scratch.
How to protect your fruit
The goal is to protect your fruit, not catch bats, so if you feel you must net, follow these guidelines:
- Use white, multi-strand, knitted netting – it deters them as it is easier for bats to see
- NEVER use black netting – bats can’t see it and are sure to get stuck.
- Pull netting TIGHT as a trampoline – bats are less likely to get caught in tight netting
Other bat deterrents:
- Place a floodlight with a movement sensor on the tree. Bats will fly away when the light turns on.
- Place chicken wire canopy over the tree – it will keep bats off your fruit, and they will not get stuck in it.
For more about wildlife-friendly crop protection see www.wildlifefriendlyfencing.com
Barbed wire is responsible for the slow, agonising deaths of bats, gliders, birds and small marsupials such as wallabies.
If
you see a bat on barbed wire, it will not ‘get itself out’ it will die a long, slow death. Do not attempt to rescue the bat – a frightened
bat will bite and scratch. Cover it with a towel or sheet and call our 24-hour bat rescue line immediately.
Alternatives to barbed
wire
- Use an electric fence – a bat may get a shock, but will keep away in future!
- If you must use barbed wire, place a white string or electrical tape along the top wire – bats will see it at night, and will not get caught.
Domestic pets are responsible for the deaths of thousands of native animals each year, including bats and flying foxes.
Prevent
your pets killing wildlife by locking your cats and dogs in a secure area away from trees and shrubs at night.
What to do if
your pet has attacked a bat:
- If you can, bring the dog or cat inside immediately.
- Do not touch the bat – an injured bat will bite or scratch.
- Call our 24 hour bat rescue service immediately.
Pets and disease
No dog or cat has ever contracted Lyssavirus from a bat. If your cat or dog has attacked a bat, however you may wish to approach your veterinarian and request a lyssavirus vaccination as a precaution for your own peace of mind.
For more about wildlife friendly fencing see www.wildlifefriendlyfencing.com
Many bats are hit by cars at night.
If you hit a bat, or see a live bat on the road or in the gutter:
- Remove it from the road to the gutter only if you can do so safely without getting bitten or scratched. NEVER use your bare hands as the stunned animal WILL bite or scratch you.
- Don't put a loose bat in your car, even if it appears unconscious. A bat that is stunned will soon regain consciousness and try to climb your arm or leg to get to safety.
- Cover it with a box (put a weight on top), or towel and call our 24 hour rescue service immediately.
- Advise us of the nearest landmark so we can find the bat. Stay with the bat if possible until
a rescuer arrives.
Fruit netting brochure by Bat Conservation and Rescue QLD
Many bats are electrocuted on power lines every year. More often than not the it will be a female and will have a young baby usually
attached to her (especially Oct to Feb). In most cases the baby will survive for up to a week on the mothers decomposing body. If
our team members and Energex can get the baby down in time the baby can be raised and released.
It is important to call our
rescue line ASAP.
IMPORTANT:
-
Note the power pole number
-
Note approximate address of the bat.
-
Try to determine if there is a baby there by clapping your hands loudly. Baby (if well enough) will respond with a chitter.
-
Do not try to remove the bat yourself
