Not Depressing

[kib]

For once. >8)

Someone sent this to me and I thought it was interesting and just so darn cute I couldn't resist posting it here. Sorry ...

It's about saving baby bats in Australia who have been either orphaned or sickened because of tick paralysis. I know it all sounds revolting, but you just have to see the little guys!

http://www.boredpanda.com/abandoned-baby-bat-pup-tolga-bat-hospital/?utm_source=Bored+Panda+Newsletter+%28no+confirmat ion%29&utm_campaign=a9ceb72758-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_BP&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_966b851144-a9ceb72758-83771933


Googling for the actual website of the sanctuary was interesting, too.

ETA: do we have a tutorial about hyperlinks? I can't remember how it's done.

http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/abandoned-baby-bat-pup-tolga-bat-hospital-15.jpg

[Packy]

There is a park on 250 acres that has a cave people visit, near me. You have to do some crawling in coveralls to access it, so it's not a tourist destination for the whole family. But, it's temporarily closed to "caving", because of a contagious disease affecting the bat population.

[kib]

What a shame. Do you know what's wrong with them?

[JaneV2.0]

There's that nose thing. Googling...Here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_nose_syndrome

[Packy]

Yes, that is it.

[JaneV2.0]

What cute little fellows. Adult fruit bats are enormous.

[CathyA]

Oh man, are they adorable!!

[kib]

Apparently they latch onto their mothers' nipples almost continually in the wild, so the feeding nipples serve as pacifiers here when not in use for feeding. They also get "sock mothers" to cuddle. I'm always amazed how baby mammals seem so ... human. Or human babies seem so similar to other babies.



http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/abandoned-baby-bat-pup-tolga-bat-hospital-3.jpg

[catherine]

That is definitely cute! Amazing how cute babies are--all babies. Ingenious survival mechanism.

[Float On]

CUTE! Former cave guide here who has always had a thing for bats.

And the white nose syndrome in the bat population is horrible. A lot of commercial caves have had to quit doing tours or really restrict the amount of people that enter them.

Those bats are really big, our bats around here are pretty small.

[Blackdog Lin]

I always thought of bats as.....gross. These photos of the babies are.....adorable.

[Gregg]

We saw very few bats this past summer and are hoping that doesn't mean a decline in the local population. It wasn't a heavy bug year so maybe they just headed for buggier pastures. As for these babies, they really are adorable!

[kib]

Started reading about white nose syndrome, sigh. Maybe it's depressing after all. We went to watch bats on their nightly flight from under a bridge in the area, didn't seem to be a lot, but I really don't know what's normal. I believe these are fruit bats, their wingspan can reach up to 5 1/2 feet. Don't think I'd be too comfortable to meet up with an adult! But I just love the little one getting a bath. "A bath? No! My Hair! This sucks. well ... at least I have my fussplug. damnit."

[iris lilies]

These photos were so unusual and cute that I posted them on my Facebook page.

I post something on FB about 1X every 2 - 3 years.

[Packy]

I think I will start a "Bat Club" group on Facebook. All the members will be able to post photos of their pride & joy.