A wildlife rescuer cut a flying fox free after it got its wing stuck in barbed wire.
Keith Porteous was called out to Balmoral Ridge, Queensland, Australia, on November 9 after the landowner found a bat caught in his fence.
Heartwarming footage shows Keith carefully unscrewing one of the barbs from the fence that had pierced through the flying foxâs skin membrane.
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After 20 minutes of work, Keith released the bat and wrapped it in a blanket to take it to a nearby conservation center to care for its injuries.
Keith said: âIt is always gratifying to help any animal, but bats are a keystone species and very important to the ecosystem, plus I have a soft spot for them.
âIt took about 20 minutes to rescue this flying fox, and the animal has suffered damage to the wings, but it is not extensive and will heal well after a spell in care.
Now watch the heartwarming rescue:
âTheir wing membrane is a lot like our skin. This animal was very calm and let me work without hindrance.
âThe landowner discovered it on his rounds early afternoon, so it had been there for some hours.
âThe animals fly into the wire at night as they canât see it, and the fine membrane of their wings become hopelessly wrapped around the barbs. Fortunately, in this case, only one barb was involved.â
