We had 11 babies in the group this year, [3 were found homes with other groups due to overloading] and Sara was the first to come in. I received a call from the phone volunteer that a lady had been handed a baby flying-fox whose mother had been terribly entangled on a barbed wire fence. As is sadly so often the case, the mothers' desperate attempts to free herself resulted in injuries too severe to survive, and like many mothers caught on wire had aborted her baby prematurely.

I phoned the lady who called, and met her at a local village. Baby flying-foxes like so many mammals are dehydrated, in shock, and very frightened. The lady had wrapped up the little one keeping her warm, and making her feel safe. Doing the right thing in those first few minutes after the rescue can mean the difference between life and death, and she had done everything right. The baby was named Sara after the rescuer.

A quick look confirmed that she was probably premature, and still had the placenta attached. Baby flying-foxes spend the first few weeks of life attached to mums nipple, and in care we use a blind teat as a dummy to add to their feelings of security. I rewrapped the baby around a rolled up face washer, popped a dummy in her mouth, and then wrapped her up and placed her head down in a heated basket. She now felt secure and was on the first stage of recovery.

Before doing anything else we have to stabilise the baby, starting with getting their body temperature back up, as baby animals unable to thermo regulate lose heat very quickly. They have just been through a terrible ordeal losing their source of security – mum, and the first few days in care are vital to restore that feeling of safety. Gentle voices, no loud noises, and lots of reassurance.

Most baby flying-foxes arrive terribly dehydrated, needing sub-cutaneous or even inter-peritoneal rehydration, but because she'd only just been born, Sara only needed oral hydration with Glucose in water. The 20 minute drive home in a heated basket had started the warming process. Once home, the placenta was snipped off and she was quickly weighed and measured before being placed head down, snuggled up amongst towels in a heat box. Time to leave her for a while and make a coffee. We measure their forearms to determine age, and her measurement put baby Sara at about 4 days premature.

An hour later Sara was lovely and warm to the touch. A thorough examination revealed no injuries from the wire [mum had protected her till the end]. Now she could have her first drink. Full strength milk substitute is a big shock to their systems, so for the first few feeds after initial hydration we dilute it with boiled water, gradually increasing the ratio over the course of the first 24 hours.

Our local paper has been wonderful with articles on injured and orphaned wildlife, helping to raise public awareness, and being the first baby of the season, Sara duly got her photo in the paper. Photo above.

A week after Sara came in she got a step-sister – Phoenix. Phoenix was found clinging to a dead mother on the ground, and had just about every problem a baby flying-fox can have. Internal maggots, mould on her tiny wing membranes, vomiting up every feed [including water] and a raging respiratory infection to boot. On day 3 she came very close to death – slipping into a near coma state at night as I prayed the various medications and antibiotics worked. I phoned a friend to say I didn’t think she would make it through the night, and prepared myself. She was alive next morning, and over the days this brave little girl started to keep tiny amounts of milk down. She had turned the corner.

Baby Sara and Phoenix didn’t see much of each other over this period, sleeping in separate baskets, but as they got older spending more time out on their frames they became the best of friends, and today Phoenix is a big healthy girl, just days from release.

Over the next few weeks, after overcoming an initial reflux problem, baby Sara did what baby flying-foxes like doing best – sleeping… With brief interruptions to feed, showing a nice steady weight gain.

In the wild at about 4 weeks of age, mum now leaves baby hanging in camp whilst out foraging all night, returning at dawn to find their hungry babies who climb onboard to snuggle up under mums wing to feed. The affectionate bond between mum and bub is very strong, and between 4 – 6 weeks of age orphan babies in care do two things: One, they become much more active – not content with sleeping all day, and secondly, they start to form affectionate bonds with their foster mothers [or fathers]. At this age they start to spend time on a clothes airer frame fitted with a towel sling for a short periods after each feed. They can then choose to sleep in their hammocks, or start to explore their airers, stretching their wings, and having little ‘flappers’. They also like lots of cuddles and attention – just like mum gives them.

During this period their appearance undergoes a transformation; from looking like little goblins, to an adorable face resembling a cross between a lemur, a fox, and a puppy. See photo above.

As Sara reached 8 weeks old her initial ‘flappers’ now turned into sustained periods of flapping on the airer. As the days progressed, the length and intensity of these aerobic workouts increased until her body rose to the horizontal position, and she was ‘pulling so much air’ that any newspaper on the floor behind took off and disappeared across the room.

You, and they, eagerly await that first flight, and then one day it happens… After caring for them for a few years you get to recognize the signs. One evening at about 9 weeks old I went in to see the ‘girls’ and Sara had that ‘look’ in her eyes… She looked straight at me, and then quickly turned around so that her back was facing me. She tucked her wings in tight against her body, squeaked and fixed her gaze on me. She was going to fly…

I stood across the room, gently reassuring her, calling her name, and patting my chest. One flap – the airer rocked. Another single flap – would she summon the courage? “Come on Sara” I called, and suddenly those huge velvety wings spread out and she was airborne.

Half a dozen big slow wing beats and she was safely across the room and on my chest. It is the most amazing feeling when a wild animal chooses to fly to you for comfort. Her first big step on the way to a life she will lead in our forests, flying up to 50 klm each night in search of nectar, began with a slow motion flight of 2 metres, and perfect landing on my chest. Their trust is such a precious privilege - and it really pays to wear a shirt at this stage...

The photo above is of one of her sustained flapping sessions just before flight [notice the look of determination on her face].

Also at about this time Sara & Phoenix were becoming completely nocturnal, sleeping all day, waking up to start a night time of feeding at around 6 pm. A visit to their room usually now resulted in suddenly ‘wearing’ 2 squeaking flying-foxes. They had after all learnt to fly, and a room full of thin air is no barrier to an airborne mammal intent on getting a reassuring cuddle.

The days passed and a third arrival was added. ‘Tricky’ a 14 week old male Black flying-fox was reported alone on the ground on the coast. I arrived to find a very frightened little boy. He was severely dehydrated and terribly underweight – eyes sunken into his head and his painfully thin body showing all his ribs. I guess he either flew too far from a colony before he was ready, or one night his mum never returned and he tried flying out in desperation before running out of energy.

Well over weaning age, and much too weak to chew fruit, he was reared at first on a liquid supplement with high protein and high fat to ‘pump his weight up’. Within a matter of days he’d lost the wasted survivor look and started to look like a young flying-fox again. A trip to their room now often resulted in wearing 3 little darlings all wanting more attention than the others.

Mother reared young are so much more nervous and frightened than ones we raise from tiny bubs, but with lots of reassurance, the 2 grey girls for company, and time, he was soon accepted into the ‘gang’. Young flying-foxes at this age are basically – well, you can only describe it as being naughty… Tricky was so well accepted that he soon became the ‘ringleader’ encouraging the 2 girls to new heights of ‘naughtiness’. They are like adorable mischievous little kids, and their night time antics relegate TV to second best. Despite his fear, he soon saw me as ‘mum’ – albeit a mum who needs a shave every so often.

The photo above [with the unashamedly soft focus treatment] is Sara at around 11 weeks of age

As I write this Sara is now 14 weeks old and will be going to crèche with approximately 60 – 70 other babies from all over the northern rivers region next week, including the 8 babies raised in our group. The crèche is underneath an existing colony with Northern Rivers Wildlife Carers. The large crèche cage will house them all for a few weeks before the doors are opened, allowing them to come and go at will. Learning to be flying-foxes, and gaining the skills for survival, they will be support fed for many months, assuring them the best possible chance of a very successful release. I will miss her as I miss them all.

“Fly free Sara – stay away from barbed wire – and have lots of babies”