Tinuviel a 9.5 week old baby Grey-Headed Flying-Fox came into care about three and a half months ago, and was released yesterday via a creche a few hundred kilometres up the coast, after her injuries finally healed.
She was found on the ground by a busy road, with significant concussion and a wrist injury where she's grazed her wrist down to the bone. Once she started to regain her mojo, she became a quite confident little batty who didn't like having a dressing on her wrist and self removed it as soon as she can. I always wondered how they got the dressings off and what they did to the evidence - apparently the batties like to eat the dressing.
She stayed with me for 10 days then progressed to an aviary with other juvies for a month while her injuries were healing. Whenever she had her wound reviewed and debrided, she would diligently clean off the human germs and any cleaning solutions used on her wound and attend to her own dressing.
She was moved up to the creche area 500 kms north of Sydney about 6 weeks ago, where her healing scar tissue was massaged daily to prevent it contracting and stiffening, so she could maintain as much wing function as practicable.
She was test flown yesterday, and allowed to fly into the trees adjacent to the release cage - well you'll see she was initially a little clumsy but then got some great height.
Fly well sweetheart Tinuviel. Start making babies in 2 years, plant trees and look after our rainforests.
Don't come back, my daughter of starry twilight.
I rescued Tinuviel during Christmas bushfire period. There was an onshore breeze, and for the first time in what seemed like months I could see stars in Sydney, not the ever-present pall of smoke.
It was a midnight rescue, and the lovely member of public was accurate in her description of how to find the little batty, and she protected her with a box.
I called her Tinuviel, daughter of starry twilight, because I could actually see the stars that night.
I really didn't think she'd do as well as she did but we just watched her heal up in front of our eyes - her way.
