When a severe hailstorm hit the tiny Queensland township of Esk on the weekend, it wasn’t just people ducking for cover.
Almost 120 flying foxes were injured, some critically, before being rescued by volunteers and admitted to the RSPCA wildlife hospital in Wacol in Brisbane’s south-west.
The hailstorm injured a mixture of juvenile and adult black, little red and grey-headed flying foxes, with around 60 bat pups being orphaned on Saturday night, the RSPCA said.
They were seen by a carer who specialises in pups and triaged before being warmed up and given fluids.
David Zammit, an Esk local, works for the RSPCA’s animal rescue department. He said when the hailstorm hit, a Bat Conservation and Rescue Queensland (BCRQ) group sent people to check on the local colony. They found bats on the ground and in trees with severe injuries.
“BCRQ in conjunction with other wildlife carers who are all vaccinated [against Australian bat lyssavirus] … started rescuing the bats that were on the ground,” Zammit said on Tuesday.
“The injuries varied, but it was mostly from the impact of the hail. Anything that was small, like a bat or a bird, would have copped it pretty badly from the hail.
“What we saw were faces that were smashed, some broken wings, and also a number of orphans.”
Zammit said the rescued flying foxes were all taken to the Wacol hospital to be assessed by RSPCA veterinarians.
The Bureau of Meteorology said days of severe thunderstorm activity had impacted the east coast of central and southern Queensland.
“The storm activity increased on Saturday with damaging and dangerous storms through the weekend and Monday,” a spokesperson said.
“Multiple severe thunderstorm warnings were issued each day. The activity was more widespread on Saturday. Many storms brought the risk of high-end weather hazards, including intense rainfall and flooding, damaging and destructive wind, and giant hail.”
The bureau said giant hailstones up to 10cm in diameter – ranging from golf ball-sized to larger than a cricket ball – were reported in numerous locations each day.
Emily Drayton, the lead clinical vet at the RSPCA wildlife hospital, later said that, unfortunately, most of the bats were euthanised due to their severe injuries.
“Only about eight adults and 10 pups that came to our hospital survived,” she said on Tuesday.
“Hopefully, all of these will make a full recovery and be released. The pups are orphans and will need to be hand-reared; the process of hand-rearing and rehabilitating takes several months.”
The bats initially have so-called fluid therapy, assisted feeding and pain relief. Then they go to a carer to begin the rehabilitation process, which varies depending on the degree of injury, Drayton said.
A teat is used that mimics how pups feed from their mothers.
“There is glucose gel on the teat … as they often have low blood glucose when they arrive. Many haven’t had milk for a long time and are cold and wet,” Drayton said.
“The blankets help to keep the bats warm and feel supported. Some are too weak to wrap their wings around their body, which is their natural hanging position. So for these bats, wrapping them in a blanket keeps them in a more natural and comfortable position.”
The RSPCA said if people found sick, injured or orphaned bats, they should never try to touch or rescue them. Instead, contact your nearest wildlife rescue organisation.
