Recently, in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, a woman named Sonia noticed something unusual in her backyard.
Dangling from the netting around her cherry tree was what looked like a dark, motionless blob.
When she looked closer, she realized it wasn’t part of the tree at all.
It was a trapped bat.
The animal was an adult Grey-headed flying fox — a large fruit bat native to Australia. The bat had likely come to the cherry tree searching for an easy meal but had instead become tangled in the protective netting wrapped around the branches.
Unable to free herself, she hung there helplessly with an injured wing.
Concerned for the animal’s safety, Sonia contacted rescuers from The Wildlife Rescuers Inc.. Soon after, rescuer Meaghan Scott arrived at the property, joined by Fae Pawley from Fly By Night Bat Clinic.
When Scott examined the tree, she explained to Sonia what had likely gone wrong.
The netting covering the tree had openings that were too large — a type that is illegal to sell in Australia because it can easily trap wildlife. Safe netting designed for fruit trees must have holes smaller than five millimeters so animals can’t get caught.
Unfortunately, some unsafe versions still end up in people’s yards after being purchased online through retailers.
Now the rescuers’ focus was on freeing the bat safely.
Scott and Pawley set up a secure cage beneath the tree before climbing ladders with their rescue tools. Working carefully, Scott gently wrapped the bat in a towel to keep her calm while Pawley slowly cut away the strands of netting tangled around her body and wings.
Once the last piece of netting was removed, the rescuers carefully lowered the bat to the ground and began checking her for injuries.
Despite everything she’d been through, the bat quickly relaxed in their hands.
“It’s a funny thing — flying foxes understand that you’re trying to help them astonishingly quickly,” Pawley said. “Once you offer them food, you become friends.”
Pawley explained that many people are surprised by how gentle the animals are.
“Members of the public often remark that bats are calm and cooperative even though they’ve never interacted with humans before,” she said.
While examining the bat, rescuers discovered that one of her wings had been injured during the struggle to escape the netting. She would need time to recover before she could safely return to the wild.
The team transported her to a wildlife rehabilitation facility, where an experienced carer named Emma took over her care.
Today, the flying fox is still recovering with Emma. She’s slowly healing, resting comfortably and spending time around other rescued bats while she regains her strength.
Rescuers hope stories like hers help change how people view bats.
“By giving the public a positive experience with rescue and showing them that flying foxes aren’t the vicious creatures the media sometimes portrays, we hope people will see them differently,” Pawley said.
Up close, she says, most people come to the same conclusion.
“They’re actually incredibly gentle,” Pawley added. “And many people say they’re absolutely adorable.” 🦇
To help other bats like this one, you can make a donation to The Wildlife Rescuers and make a donation to Fly By Night Bat Clinic.
