Australia has some very special bats, including the Spectacled flying fox. This bat has almost a 5 foot wingspan. Unfortunately, the bats are decreasing very rapidly in numbers. The problem lies with an introduced plant, the tobacco plant. Ticks which use this plant as a temporary home hop onto the spectacled flying foxes as they fly low to feed off of the flowers of the plant. These bats are the only bats in Australia that feed off of this plant. Bats become paralyzed quickly, are grounded, and die.

OBC has gone to Australia to look at the situation with the bats and to see what we could do to help. We set up a long-term project with Pam Tully, a bat rehabilitator, and made plans on returning each year to help her efforts further. The rescue project takes place in Milla Milla, Australia. The months of October through December are the most crucial because mother spectacled flying foxes give birth to their young ones, unfortunately this is also the time when the ticks bite. The bats get bit and fall to the ground, injuring both themselves and their pups. Bats are medicated and placed in a hospital. Babies are taken away from their mothers and hand-fed by volunteers every 2-4 hours around the clock. After mother bats recover from the paralysis and injuries, the mothers and babies are reunited and released. Baby flying foxes and their families (called camps) stay together for life. Camps can consist of hundreds of thousands of bats. Mother bats will teach their babies everything they need to know about being a flying fox. She will teach them where to find the tastiest fruit and how to avoid predators. Father bats roost along the edge of the colony to make sure the mothers and babies are safe from any harm.

This conservation project is extremely important, as this is the only group working to save the spectacled flying foxes. If you are interested in contributing toward the work in Australia your donation will go for much needed supplies, like medication, hospital supplies, and fruit for the bats.

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Bat Zone at Cranbrook Institute of Science
39221 Woodward Ave. P.O. Box 801
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303
248.645.3232
Contact the Organization for Bat Conservation