Members of Bat Rescue South Australia (Bat Rescue SA) regularly check on local bat colonies, keeping an eye out for any animals that may be injured or in trouble. During one of these routine checks, a rescuer named Cindy heard something unexpected.
From inside a thick patch of flowering nasturtiums came a faint sound — soft, high-pitched, and unmistakably distressed.
Following the noise, Cindy carefully searched through the flowers until she found the source: a tiny baby bat clinging desperately to the stems. The little one, later named Sassy, was alone on the ground and clearly needed help.
“Little Sassy was cold and frightened and clinging to nasturtium stems,” Bat Rescue SA coordinator Sue Westover told The Dodo.
Aside from her chilled skin and wide, worried eyes, Sassy appeared to be physically healthy. Cindy scanned the sky and noticed two adult bats circling above, raising hope that Sassy’s parents were nearby and searching for her.
Hoping for a reunion, Cindy gently placed Sassy into a nearby tree and stayed close, watching carefully for more than an hour. But as time passed, no adult bat returned.
“Sassy was getting colder, more distressed and weaker, barely able to hold on,” Westover said. “The rescuer felt the only option to save Sassy was to take her into care.”
Once safely in foster care with her carer Ann, Sassy quickly began to relax. She eagerly drank warm bat formula and settled into a heated crib designed just for orphaned pups. Before long, she was introduced to Sam, another rescued baby bat around her age, and the two formed a close bond.
Today, Sassy is thriving.
“She is feeding extremely well, learning how to do things on her own, and has bonded with her adopted brother,” Westover said. “In a few more weeks, she’ll start enjoying fruit alongside her formula.”
As she grows stronger, Sassy will slowly be weaned off formula and encouraged to become more independent, gradually reducing human contact. When the time is right, she’ll be ready to return to the trees and live the wild life she was meant for.
While rescuers were initially disappointed that Sassy couldn’t be reunited with her bat mother, they’re grateful to have been there when she needed them most.
“Sassy being so healthy, active, and inquisitive is a joy to watch for her human mum,” Westover said. “Watching her fly free in a few months will be the ultimate — and bittersweet — reward.”
To help other animals like Sassy get a second chance, you can support Bat Rescue SA with a donation.
