From near tragedy to new beginnings … well, three new beginnings in fact!

This Yellow-bellied House Bat (Scotophilus dinganii) was admitted on 10 January 2023 with her 2 pups still suckling on her breasts. She had flown into a security gate and in the process fractured her left humerus. The fracture was successfully pinned by the vets at Baesac ( Bryanston Avian, Exotic and Small Animal Clinic ) and the pups went to bat mom Claudia to be hand-raised. After frequent vet checks and post op care she was moved to our Centre for further rehabilitation and flight training. At the end of summer her flying skills were inadequate for release so she spent the winter with Claudia. Daily physio movements of the wing and Photizo treatment throughout the winter months improved her range and at the beginning of September she moved back into the flight cage at FFW and was finally ready to be released back to her home ground on 11 November 2023. She flew off very quickly and circled over the area twice before flying off. One very special rehab and a collaboration of many to get her back out living wild and free!

As for the rehab journey of her pups – a boy and a girl – the girl was very switched on and an excellent flyer and was released before winter. The boy was a bit slower with the flying (not the eating) so he and 1 other YHB juvenile spent the winter with Claudia too. Both of them have shared the flight cage with the adult female for flight training for the past 6 weeks and both were released in a suitable area where many YHB occur.