"The bat hospital started because tick paralysis was discovered in spectacled flying foxes in 1990. And each year hundreds of spectacled flying foxes get tick paralysis, and unfortunately it’s the same time of year that they have their babies. So we end up with hundreds of orphan babies to look after as well as the, the adults. "

 

When Jenny Maclean started the hospital at the beginning of the tick epidemic, she only looked after two babies. Now there are hundreds.

 

"Last year was our biggest tick paralysis year. We had 500 babies to look after. I think we probably treated about 150 adults with tick paralysis at that same time. And at the moment we've got about 100 permanent cave bats. So it’s become quite large. "

 

Flying foxes pick up ticks while foraging a wild tobacco close to the ground.

 

When the insect bites, they’ll release a powerful toxin that paralyses the bat, beginning in their legs. This is especially lethal for bats which use their lower bodies to hang from trees. Researchers could have administered any toxin if only they could reach the animals. They roost high up in the tree canopy where they’re inaccessible. Eventually, infected bats will fall onto the ground with their babies still clinging to their fur.

 

"The bats have to fall to the ground before we can rescue them. So a lot of them are actually too far gone by the time we find them. We euthanize quite a lot, um, but we can always save the babies virtually, as long as we find the babies within a day or two of mom-falling. The babies are quite easy to save. "

 

Once the orphans are about four months’ old, they’re released back into the environment, where they provide a vital service by dispersing pollen and seeds into the forest. Ticks aren’t the only hazard facing these animals. The Tolga Hospital also cares for bats that have damaged their wings by flying into barbed wire--big problem of Australia.

 

Educating the public about the hazards bats face and their importance to help the eco-system is an important goal of the Tolga Bat Hospital. An educational center based at the hospital allows visitors to see the babies and learn about the many types of bats that inhabit Australia.

 

"Bats, through a lot of cultures, suffer from a really poor image(在许多文化中，蝙蝠一直是声名狼籍), and yet most people, given that opportunity to meet a bat, up-close and personal, can’t believe that they are such engaging animals. "

 

These lucky little orphans will someday return to the wild. In the meantime, they offer people a glimpse at their beleaguered species with a bad rap [口碑不好(但其实很可爱)] and an engaging face.

 

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