Townsville: Bat swims a lap of resort pool before climbing onto helping hand of rescuer amid flood crisis
A baby bat has mistaken a resort lap pool for a small pond and became trapped before a kind-hearted rescuer helped her to safety amid the north Queensland flood crisis.
The Townsville Bat Rescue Team lead by Kate CJ Murphy swung into action and she has shared a video of the approimately two-month -old bat swimming toward her for help in exiting the pool.
The small bat can be seen gliding through the water in the pool appearing to do breaststroke as she moves quickly for the side and helping hand.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“She was about two months old and probably just testing her wings, trying to fly for the first time away from mum,” Kate told news.com.au.
“We get a few two to three month-olds flying for the first time and they get themselves in odd positions.”
“Bats fly down to rivers to skim the water to drink, they don’t hang still and drink – they skim down as they’re flying. [And] the lap pool looks like a river to a bat who is learning about life,” Kate said.
“Before we had all this rain in Townsville we had extreme heat and she possibly thought it was a good place to have a drink.”
Kate said the bat must have run into trouble while trying to fly back up as the pool has a shaded roof.
In the clip she shared to Townsville Bat Rescue Australia official Facebook page, the black flying fox can be seen gliding through the water.
“Do you want a hand?” she says, as the little one eagerly hitches a lift on the towel Kate was holding.
“Oh goodness me, well that wasn’t real smart was it?” she continues.
Kate, the president of the Kate CJ Murphy, president of Townsville Bat Rescue Australia, said the baby bat will be released into the wild with about 30 other friends.
Following the rescue, Kate, who is one of five volunteers at the not-for-profit group, kept the bat in her care for 24 hours.
After monitoring the bat, Kate put her with a release colony that she’s “already got [so] she will be released with about 30 other friends because they’re mob animals.”
She added she can’t just take the bat back to where she came from as she will get lost again.
