When Alex Collins drove with his two kids to look at a boat for sale in Brisbane, Australia, he didn’t expect the real discovery to be waiting on a nearby fence.
As they pulled up, something dark hanging from the barbed wire caught Collins’ eye.
“You don’t often see black things hanging in fences,” he recalled.
Curious, he walked closer — and realized it wasn’t an object at all. It was a flying fox, hopelessly tangled in the sharp wire.
“At first I thought it was dead,” Collins said. “But then I noticed it was still alive.”
Knowing the bat wouldn’t survive much longer without help, Collins quickly phoned Bat Conservation & Rescue QLD. A rescuer was dispatched right away.
“They were amazing,” Collins said. “They answered straight away and sent someone immediately.”
And with that, the bat was finally safe, as seen in the video below:
Thanks to that call, the flying fox was freed and taken into care. The rescue team even gave the bat a special name: Alex, after the man who refused to ignore him.
Now safe, Alex the bat is recovering well — with plans for him to be released back into the wild once he’s strong enough.
“I feel very honored to have him named after me,” Collins said. “It’s been wonderful to watch his recovery and know he’s getting the care he needs.”
To learn more about Bat Conservation & Rescue QLD, and to find out how you can help, visit their website here.
