Rescue Kit

Following is a list of items that are great to have in a rescue kit. Ideally, have your rescue kit always ready in the car, so you can hit the ground running when a call comes in or when you need to help on the go. Have the essential items in a backpack or shoulder bag so you can easily transport them from your car to the rescue site.

  • rescue basket or transport cage with cover
  • welding gloves for FFs and leather/gardening gloves for Microbat rescues
  • lots of towels
  • mumma roll and dummy for orphan rescues
  • a small pouch for microbat rescues
  • pillowcase
  • scissors large (for cutting neeting) and small (removing netting from bat)
  • set of pliers
  • bolt cutter
  • wire to bridge and repair barbed wire fences
  • saw or secateurs
  • water spray bottle
  • ladder
  • rescue pole
  • rescue net for FFs / butterfly net for microbats
  • heat pad / heat disk / transport IC unit
  • bottle of drinking water
  • a small tetra pack of juce
  • glucose powder / glucose paste / some honey
  • Children’s Panadol
  • large syringe (20-30ml) for oral fluids
  • small syringe (1ml) for oral painmeds
  • advanced rescuers: subcut fluids, sterile syringes and needles, alcomed wipes

general useful things to have in the rescue bag:

  • hand sanitiser
  • cable ties
  • duckt tape
  • pen and notepad
  • band aids (for rescuer)
  • BatsQLD business cards
  • mosquito spray
  • sunscreen and a hat
  • a snake bite kit
  • latex gloves and a plastic bag / body bag

Equipment

Rescue Basket

  • transport of Flying Foxes after rescue or to vet appointments
  • hospital cage for Flying Foxes requiring bedrest
  • housing for Flying Fox orphans during the first few weeks
  • PRO: small gaps so animal is well contained, arms / wings / thumbs unlikely to get stuck
  • CON: Flying Foxes are unable to hang comfortibly in these baskets
WILDSAFE: Wildlife Rescue Baskets and Supplies

Rescue Cage

  • transport of Flying Foxes after rescue or to vet appointments
  • hospital cage for Flying Foxes requiring bedrest or quarantine
  • housing for Flying Fox orphans during the first few weeks
  • PRO: Flying Foxes can hang comfortibly in this cage when its stood on its side
  • CON: animal is not well contained as arms / wings / thumbs can reach through the wire gaps and can get stuck … partial fix: pulling a men size Tshirt (with top cut off) with a tight fit over the cage