Funny Flying Foxes Eating Blossom - Creche Babies LOVE Ivory Curl Flower!

Most creche babies and adult flying foxes in care are fed fruit as it is easily accessible in quantity. But when blossom or 'browse' can be provided, they LOVE it!

Check out the reaction of some of these flying foxes in Mandi's aviary when I brought them some ivory curl blossom flower (Buckinghamia celsissima - a popular native sub-tropical street tree).

FLYING FOX FOOD

Most people think bats or flying foxes only eat our backyard fruit or fruit in our commercial orchards. But they don't.

In fact, their natural food is pollen and nectar from over 100 species of native trees and vines. They can eat the flowers and sometimes leaves of eucalypt, lily pilly, paperbark, and turpentine trees.

When native foods are scarce, particularly during drought, the bats may supplement this diet by eating fruit from introduced plants found in gardens, parks, streetscaping, and orchards.

MORE ABOUT MANDI

Mandi has been a licensed bat carer for nearly 30 years. She lives in Southeast Queensland and cares for bats from her personal funds and any donations she may receive.

She looks after baby bats, orphaned bats, injured bats, and even geriatric bats who are allowed to live out their days in the blissful batty comfort of her loving care.

Being an individual carer and not a member of a Not-For-Profit wildlife organization, she does not receive any form of government financial support or grant monies.

FUNDRAISING FOR MANDI'S BATS

This video is part of a fundraising initiative to help Mandi feed her bats and improve her aviaries.

Tolga Bat Hospital in Far North Queensland is supportive of Mandi and is happy to take donations for her bats. Their "PayPal Giving Fund" does not charge any fees, so the bats get all the money.
And ALL donations over $2 are tax-deductible too. Yay!

If you would like to help go to: https://tolgabathospital.org/donate/

OR: If you have access to a PayPal account, then click this link to go directly to Tolga Bat Hospital's PayPal donations: https://www.paypal.com/au/fundraiser/charity/3693956

IMPORTANT: Once you have donated, PLEASE EMAIL JENNY AT: jenny@tolgabathospital.org
Say your donation is "For Mandi's Bats” and include the amount and the name under which you donated. OR just forward your PayPal receipt to Jenny.

[PayPal does not include details of donations received, so Tolga Bat Hospital will not know if the money is meant for Tolga or for Mandi].

THANK YOU! ;-)

MORE ABOUT AUSTRALIAN FLYING FOXES:

Flying foxes play an important role in dispersing seeds and pollinating flowering plants. They are crucial in keeping our native forests healthy.

And because flying foxes are highly mobile, seeds can be moved locally and over great distances. Thus they are vital as our forest pollinators too.

Flying foxes are also the largest flying Australian mammal. And the only mammal in Australia that is the closest genetically to humans - go figure! Throughout history, humans have always wanted to fly, but the flying foxes beat us to it. Now THAT deserves our admiration!

For more videos like this, check out our playlist: "Discover Bats" at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQrN5eNL5RhOIhD8Erg2cFyPrENv1ct-8

ABOUT IRENE ISAACSON:

Irene Isaacson (ex-iFototravel) is a passionate travel and wildlife photographer. Whilst traveling over 1 million miles and across many continents over the last 10-15 years, she has honed her photography, videography, and photojournalism skills.

With a particular love of experiencing all manner of wildlife interactions, Irene is a volunteer and active member of many global wildlife organizations.

These include Not-For-Profit organizations, many of which benefit from regular donations from her photography business profits. She shares her adventures in the hope to raise awareness of conservation and environmental issues, using her platform to inspire, support, and enact change.

Irene says: “We are all stewards of our planet. Between us all, we can help secure the future of our world and the plants and animals within it. It only needs to start with one person…”

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• Email: ireneisaacsonphotography@gmail.com
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#funnybatseatingblossom #mandisbats #ireneisaacsonphotography