Rainforest Bat Rehabilitation

The Project

The centre achieves its goals by:

• rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing hundreds of bats every year
  
• providing a lifetime sanctuary for bats that are too severely injured to return to the wild or have been retired from zoos
  
• educating the public about bats through schools and the onsite Visitor Centre
  
• habitat restoration work at 2 bat colonies
  
• facilitating research into flying foxes by various universities and government bodies 
  
• advocating for bats.
  

All four species of Australian flying foxes are in permanent care as well as tube-nosed bats and microbats. A visitor’s centre was opened in 2009 to provide educational programs for a broader community of local residents, students and tourists.

The Location

The centre is nestled in 5 acres of gardens in a quiet forest valley 85 kms inland from Cairns. The Atherton Tablelands has spectacular scenery and wildlife in a diverse landscape from high altitude tropical rainforests to vast savannah landscapes to the west. This Scrub is one of the last remaining fragments of the critically endangered type 5b or Mabi rainforest on the Atherton Tablelands. There is about 2% of original Mabi forest left.

Our Volunteers

Your input into his initiative is valuable as the centre could not run without the contribution of volunteers who are needed all year. This is especially during tick paralysis season when hundreds of adults and orphans come into care. 

Conditions Onsite

The biggest challenge of this project is the long days volunteers work in the high season from October to February. During this time, there are many orphans which require rescuing, rearing and releasing.

Please get in touch with your doctor about a rabies vaccination.

Please Note

The second instalment of your project fees is due within 1 week after you paid the deposit on Volunteer World. This is a total of $495 AUD and comes off your balance. The balance is due 90 days prior to travel. For all further information about the fees, please scroll down to the section "Program Fees“.

• Assisting in rescue calls 
  
• Assisting in emergency medical treatment 
  
• Prepare food for the adult bats and milk for the babies 
  
• Feed, clean, weigh and measure the orphan bats 
  
• Clean cages 
  
• Handle large amounts of washing 
  
• Assist in trips to the rainforest to search or release (depending on season) 
  
• Help with miscellaneous projects around the hospital 
  
• Environmental education activities in the Visitors Centre (June to September)
  

There is plenty to do on your days off in this diverse rainforest region.

Water sports, bushwalks, rock climbing, wildlife spotting, markets, hot springs, National Parks, World Heritage treasures, restaurants, spas, roadside stalls, cellar doors, scenic railway, canopy walk, tea plantation, coffee plantation, wineries, skyhigh cable car, lava tubes, kayaking, galleries, cruises and even a dairy. 

Visit Mareeba to see the Heritage Museum which houses an extensive array of Aboriginal culture, take a hot air balloon ride, purchase some local produce and handicrafts at the local markets, visit a coffee plantation, take a walk through Granite Gorge or on the Mareeba Wetlands Reserve or for the more adventurous fly in an old Warbird plane.

In nearby Yungaburra, you can take a walk along Peterson's Creek, a haven for wildlife, where you will see platypus, tree kangaroos, wallabies and a large variety of birds. The Crater Lakes National Park protects a crater lake surrounded by a cool rainforest. A walking track, giant bull kauri pines, a teahouse and boat cruises make this park a popular stop for visitors. For those who love water sports, Lake Tinaroo is the place to be.

Cascading waterfalls are the stand-out attractions of the region so take the waterfalls circuit then stop off at Koombooloomba Dam for some exceptional camping and fishing.