Don’t bat an eyelid, this guy will be flying home
A BRUISED and battered Eastern tube-nosed bat found writhing in pain in Port Douglas is making a fighting recovery.
The courageous little cutie was found by a pedestrian near the Coconut Grove complex in Macrossan St, who shifted straight into “animal rescue” mode and raced it to the nearby Wildlife Habitat.
The bat had fallen from a tree on to the footpath before help arrived from conservation group Daintree Life.
“He is going really well,” Daintree Life’s Connie Kerr said.
“He has some minor grazes and swelling on one wrist and is on antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, but we expect a full recovery and return to the wild within a couple of weeks.”
Ms Kerr said despite the goodwill of the bat’s saviour, only vaccinated people should handle the animals because of the slight possibility of contracting Australian bat lyssavirus, which is similar to rabies.
The little guy has been named “Rosco”.
“His name has come about by mixing Coconut and Macrossan,” Ms Kerr said.
He is being treated for possible variables such as infection, cat attack or a collision.
He will be released to the same area.
hotel will take guests from July 11.
“I think we have to be realistic, the way moving forward will be extremely challenging, but it is better to be open than completely shut,” Mr Tan said.
He said a staged approach had been adopted to step out of hibernation with Tamarind Restaurant and Bar 36 the first to take customers from Friday.
Mr Tan said he had “no expectations” about the volume of patrons this weekend.
“These are untested grounds; this is the first time we have reopened from a COVID situation,” he said.
Meanwhile the Commissioner for Liquor and Gaming Victoria Thomson encouraged punters to monitor their gambling habits post lockdown.