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Rescuing a flying-fox with his head stuck: this is Headlock

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Megabattie

Headlock is an adult male GreyHeaded FlyingFox who crash landed on a balcony and decided to get himself off by trying to force his way out between 2 glass panels, without notable success.

When I got there he was rather cranky about his current state of existence (as you would be), and just a tad aggressive (how ungrateful!).
I managed to get a reasonable grip on him without his pointy bits coming into contact with my fingers, and slid him up to the top of the gap so I could use my other hand to wiggle him out. Once I got his shoulder back on the inside, the head was just a matter of a few changes of orientation till I found the skinniest profile and slid him out. Sorry you don't get a great view but I didn't have a spare hand to change the camera orientation.

He doesn't seem to be particularly injured (just outraged) but these kind of entrapments may cause rhabdomyolysis and renal failure from his struggle in the heat, which show up in the first 36 hours.
He has minor facial bruising and abrasions and shoulder bruising.

This is the third bat I have rescued from this balcony and the second in a week. No, there is nothing realistic we can do to prevent the bats ending up there trapped. It will happen about this time of the year a few times and then there will probably be nothing till the same time next year. There is a large fig tree adjacent and if the bats argue, fight and end up dropping, they hit the roof and slide onto the balcony.
I've never rescued one with his head stuck there before.

In care he has survived for a few weeks and will go into the release aviary in the next male release round. It's breeding season so will be kept separate from the girls because in care, the girls can't escape the very forceful intentions of the breeding motivated boys and get harassed. It's better to do separate release rounds.

Way to go Headlock. Yay, another survivor.

posted by shazzy129c