After arriving at a local dog park in Australia, a man heard something concerning: a baby crying out for help. He and his dog, Piglet, followed the sound over to the park’s fence and quickly found the source. A baby bat was clinging to the fence all alone, waiting for someone to find him.
Bat Conservation & Rescue QLD
Luckily, the man immediately knew what to do. He contacted Bat Conservation & Rescue QLD, then waited with the baby until help arrived. The rescuers took one look at the 7-week-old baby and decided to name him Piglet in honor of the Good Samaritans who found him.
Bat Conservation & Rescue QLD
“Piglet was very skinny, and he had a lot of little holes in his wings,” Rebecca Appleton of Bat Conservation & Rescue QLD told The Dodo. “He wouldn’t have survived much longer in the wild without a mum. The person who called him in is a kind person who always keeps his eyes out for wildlife in trouble.”
Bat Conservation & Rescue QLD
The rescuers guessed that Piglet had likely been on his own for several days. He was much too young to be without his mom or the rest of his colony. Most young bats are weaned at five and need their family before then. Now he’s safe in the care of dedicated rescuers, and so far he’s thriving.
“Piglet is doing really well,” Appleton said. “He is a particularly sweet baby and adapted to care and having a foster mum really quickly.”
Piglet will remain in the rescue’s care until about February or March, depending on his progress. Then he’ll be able to go back home to the wild.
Bat Conservation & Rescue QLD
“He will be released via our orphan creche program once he is old enough and capable of flight and feeding himself,” Appleton said.
Piglet was struggling that day in the dog park, but thankfully, the man and his dog made it their mission to get him somewhere safe.
