Bat Conservation & Rescue Qld Inc.

Bat Conservation & Rescue Qld Inc. is a self-funded volunteer organisation whose members are permitted under Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) to care for sick, injured and orphaned bats. 

Our aim is to:-

·         provide accurate and informative education, through literature, talks and community events to the general public about the importance of bats.

·         provide an efficient and humane service to rescue and rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned bats, returning them to the wild as soon as and whenever possible.

·         be active in the conservation of bats.

·         follow the guidelines set out by the Department of Environment and Resource Management, ’Care and  Rehabilitation of Orphaned, Sick or Injured   Protected Animals by Wildlife Volunteers’.

Our organisation was formed in February 2007, to address the increasing demand for assistance for bat species, both microbats (e.g. insect eating bats) and megabats (e.g. flying-foxes).

Our busiest rescue periods are from October to January, as this is when mothers give birth. Each year many flying-fox mothers are trapped and die in incorrectly erected drape netting, on barbed wire fences or are electrocuted on powerlines. This results in injured or orphaned flying-foxes needing time in care.  During January to May our volunteers are then busy releasing juvenile flying-foxes back to the wild through an approved release program.

Our volunteers and limited resources are often stretched during periods of drought and seasonal starvation events.

Our dedicated team of volunteers conduct rescue operations within a 300km² radius and we service an area from Caboolture to Tweed Heads with other members in regional Queensland. We also have an education team who visit schools, councils, industrial areas, shopping centres and private properties within these precincts.

Our organisation headquarters and most of our crèche and rehabilitation cages are located in Cleveland, South East Queensland, Australia.

·         We are the largest bat specific rescue organisation in Queensland with a growing membership currently standing at 140 members. This includes rescue, care and associate members.

·         We are recognised by governments as a reliable and responsible organisation. We are often consulted for statistical information, advice and rescue assistance.

·         Calls to our service have doubled each year with over 2,200 calls for bat species in 2010.

·         We successfully raise and return over 150 orphaned baby flying-foxes to the wild each and every year.

·         We are a major supporter of the RSPCA and we attend to the majority of their bat rescues and enquiries throughout South East Queensland.

·          We present many educational talks, events and displays to the general community, schools and councils each year.

·         We have successfully negotiated an ongoing liaison role with Biosecurity Qld as well as other Queensland bat specialists regarding bats in their media releases. These sources supply us with current virus information and relevant bat policies.

·         We co-authored the ’Living with Flying-Foxes’ factsheet which was produced by Queensland Health.

·         We gained endorsement as a deductible gift recipient organisation and we were placed on the Register of Environmental Organisations by the Federal Government in March 2011. We achieved Charity status in the State of Queensland in October 2011.