A tiny baby bat was hanging onto life after her mom was killed after getting electrocuted. The orphaned baby flying fox was alone for a few days and was cold, thirsty and hungry when bat rescuer Denise Wade found her hanging in a tree.
The little bat makes a heartbreaking squeaking cry when she sees Denise approach her, but she doesn’t realize she’s about to be in safe hands.
Denise, who rescues bats in Brisbane, Australia, said that the reason she shot the video is to help people recognize when a flying-fox needs help and says if you hear a crying sound like the one in the following video, call a wildlife rescuer for help because there’s a baby who needs urgent help!
Denise brought the bat back to her home for rehabilitation and named her Miss Sapphire.
Sapphire’s mom was killed after flying into power lines and, sadly, Sapphire was also hit from the power lines, losing two of her five toes. But the good news is that flying-foxes “can manage quite well with the remaining three toes and although toe number 3 was damaged, it is hanging in there with a good blood supply and a strong deep pain reflex when squeezed.”
Denise does say “that 99% of babies survive unscathed during their mother’s electrocution, but sometimes, they do suffer damage and we really just have to wait it out making sure that they receive adequate pain relief, dressing of the affected parts, extra fluids and sometimes antibiotic coverage as prescribed by a vet.”
At this point, things are looking better for Miss Sapphire. Here she is sucking on her bat binky and staying warm and snuggly with her foster mom, Denise. If her last toe hangs on, she can be let back into the wild!