One chilly evening in Australia, a curious grey-headed flying fox named Narelle was gliding gracefully through the suburbs — until something went terribly wrong.
In the dark, she didn’t see a concrete wall in her path. She hit it head-on.
Dazed and hurting, Narelle could barely fly. She managed to cling to the nearest thing she could find — a cold metal water tap jutting out from a building — and hung there, motionless and alone, as the night went on.
But someone noticed her.
A call soon came in to WIRES Wildlife Rescue, and an experienced rescuer named Inga rushed to the scene. When she arrived, she found Narelle still hanging from the tap, exhausted but alive.
“Inga gently removed her and brought her to safety,” rescuers said.
At the Avian, Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital, veterinarians examined Narelle and were amazed — despite her ordeal, she had no major injuries. Her head was sore, but she would recover.
Next, Narelle was transferred to Sydney Wildlife Rescue, where she began her slow journey back to strength — and even made a few new friends along the way.
“She’s doing well,” a Sydney Wildlife Rescue representative told The Dodo. “She still has a bit of a sore head, but she’s eating well and has the company of two other grey-headed flying foxes who are also recovering.”
Soon, once she’s strong enough, Narelle will move to a flight aviary — a spacious enclosure where she can stretch her wings again and rebuild her confidence in the air.
And when the weather warms and food becomes plentiful, she’ll be released back into the wild alongside her new bat companions — free once more under the open sky.
“It’s quite cold here in Sydney right now,” rescuers said. “So they’ll stay in care until it warms up again.”
Rescuers remind the public that if you ever see a bat alone or grounded during the day, don’t approach or touch it — bats require trained, vaccinated rescuers for safe handling. Instead, call your local wildlife organization for help.
Because when people take the time to care, animals like Narelle get the second chance they deserve.
💛 To help other bats like Narelle, you can donate to Sydney Wildlife Rescue and reference Southwest Bats.
