Tiny orphaned bat now has the best family to live in
It’s unclear exactly how this tiny baby bat came to be separated from her mother, orphaned and alone at just a few days old — but one thing is certain. She found the perfect person to help her.
Dr. Karin Lourens runs the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital in South Africa, where the rescued baby bat was given the refuge she so desperately needed.
Though the baby bat is extremely little, no bigger than a finger, keeping her cared for is no small task.
To ensure that the tiny bat gets all the nutrients she needs, Lourens takes on the duties of Mom — a task requiring feeding sessions every hour around the clock.
Lourens uses a makeup sponge soaked in milk to serve the baby bat her meals.
As if caring for the baby weren’t requiring of epic love and dedication as it is, she wouldn’t be the only patient like her for long.
Not long after the bat’s arrival to the hospital, two more rescued babies were taken in by Lourens as well.
Now she really has her hands full.
Still, these three babies are just the tip of the iceberg.
Every year around this time, Lourens and her staff care for hundreds of baby bats found orphaned in the wild — providing each with the round-the-clock care they would otherwise have received from their mothers.
When they’re finally big and strong enough, after months, the bats are gradually released back into the wild. It’s a process that takes one milk-filled makeup sponge at a time.
For Lourens, all the effort she puts into helping the little winged babies couldn’t be more worth it.
“I have done this a hundred times and every time I am awestruck at how amazing they are,” Lourens told The Dodo. “They’re tiny, perfect beings, and every one with a different personality.”
Every baby bat’s life that Lourens and her staff save comes as its own reward.
“I adore bats. They are so misunderstood and have such a bad rap, yet they are super important to the ecosystem,” Lourens said. “I am completely knackered from lack of sleep, but it is super rewarding to see them grow up.”
