At Bat Rescue South Australia (Bat Rescue SA), volunteers spend countless hours checking on local bat colonies, making sure no animal is injured, abandoned or in distress. During one of these routine rounds, team member Cindy suddenly heard an unusual sound — a faint, desperate “crying” coming from deep within a bed of nasturtium flowers.
Curious and already concerned, she carefully pushed aside the bright orange blossoms and sprawling green vines. Nestled among the stems, she discovered a tiny baby bat sprawled on the ground, trembling and alone. The little girl, later named Sassy, clearly needed help.
“Little Sassy was cold and frightened and clinging to nasturtium stems,” Bat Rescue SA coordinator Sue Westover told The Dodo.
Despite being chilled and terrified, Sassy didn’t show any obvious injuries. As Cindy scanned the area, she noticed two adult bats circling overhead, which she hoped might be Sassy’s parents searching frantically for their missing baby. To give the little family a chance to reunite, she gently placed Sassy in a nearby tree and watched from a distance.
For more than an hour, Cindy monitored the baby bat closely. But the adults never swooped down. No comforting mother or vigilant father arrived.
“Sassy was getting colder, more distressed and weaker, barely able to hold on,” Westover said. With her condition declining, Cindy realized the only way to save the little orphan was to bring her into care.
Once safely in the hands of her assigned carer, Ann, Sassy immediately perked up. She eagerly drank warm bat formula and snuggled into a heated crib, finally warm and secure for the first time since being found. She soon bonded with Sam, another orphaned bat of similar age, and the pair became inseparable companions.
As the days passed, Sassy continued to grow stronger.
“She is feeding extremely well, is learning how to do things on her own, and has bonded to her adopted brother,” Westover said. “In a few more weeks, she will start to enjoy some fruit as well as her formula.”
Eventually, Sassy will be completely weaned off her milk, learn to function without human comfort, and slowly transition back to wild bat behaviors. Once she meets all of her developmental milestones and gains full independence, she’ll be ready to take her first flight back into the natural world.
Although rescuers were saddened that a reunion with her biological mother wasn’t possible, they’re deeply grateful to watch Sassy thrive in her temporary human family.
“Sassy being so healthy, active and inquisitive is a joy to watch for her human mum,” Westover said. “Watching her fly free in a few months will be the ultimate — and bittersweet — joy.”