‘Sassy’ bat flying again after attack

Two months after being attacked by a feral cat, ‘‘Batwoman’’ has spread her wings and is nearly ready to go home.

But not until a little more of her hair grows back.

The 12-gram adult pekapeka (long-tailed New Zealand native bat) arrived at Hamilton Zoo on July 31, bloodied, a little hypoglycaemic and traumatised after an attack by feral cat in Te Awamutu.

She was initially called Batman before the sex was determined and has now become a zoo favourite that vet nurse Trudy Willetts describes as ‘‘sassy’’.

From living in a thirty-degree incubator home to now flying nonstop in her ownroom, Batwoman has improved steadily and gained weight.

She eats straight out of her regular handlers’ hands, Willetts said.

The only issue now was the hair loss, but it was starting to show signs of improvement.

‘‘We thought it was gloves, so we changed the gloves, then we thought it was diet and we changed that, and if it was a lot of handling, we have reduced that too.

‘‘A combination of everything looks like it’s working.’’

Willets said she hadn’t realised bats had such a personality.

‘‘She’s really sassy. If she does not want to eat, she’ll be like ‘‘nah’’ and fly away. If she’s hungry, she snaps at the food like it’ll run away.’’

Zoo vet Tori Turner, who has been taking care of the nocturnal mammal from day one, said her torn wings had healed.

‘‘The little tendon sticking out will probably never really reattach, but she can fly so well, we are not worried. She can perfectly manoeuvre between things without hitting walls.

‘‘At first she was flying quite low and didn’t change direction much, and now she is sweeping.’’

Now Batwoman just needs her hair to grow back, since DOC didn’t want to release a bald bat during winter months, said the vet.

Batwoman had already defied expectations, Turner said, given DOC said bats in captivity normally die within two to three days.

The zoo staff had also treated another bat, injured by the same cat that attacked Batwoman, arrived and were all set with ‘‘what to do next’’.

‘‘That bat only had a little rip, and we released it in a week.’’

As for Batwoman, DOC science adviser and vet Kate McInnes said once it had healed sufficiently, it would be released to the rural area outside Hamilton to locate its social group, its own roosts and feeding areas.

‘‘Long-tailed bats are not restricted to native forest remnants and regularly use rural areas for feeding, breeding, roosting, and socialising.’’

‘‘This is important because bats are strongly faithful to specific roosts and feeding areas. ‘‘Roosts are rare in this area. ‘‘They live in close social groups.’’

DOC encouraged cat owners to do an online quiz to see how conservation-friendly their pet cat was. For the protection and treatment of injured bats, it funded specialist guidelines for bats in veterinary care.

Hamilton Zoo director Dr Baird Fleming said taking care of animals like this is ‘‘why we are here’’.

‘‘Just like humans have all these really cool accommodations we have been able to create over the years, we can do the same for animals.’’

The zoo was in the process of joining ranks with Auckland and Wellington Zoos to provide the central North Island support for conservation and animal welfare, he said.

Aschool of fish seemingly flying high amid the clouds, a treefrog pool party, a house-sitting polar bear, and half a giraffe.

Strange and remarkable images will be seen at Waikato Museum when a major photography exhibition opens at the Hamilton facility later this year.

The world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, will open on Friday, December 9.

The exhibition showcases 100 photographs that capture fascinating animal behaviour, unusual and often-spectacular species and the diversity of the natural world.

It is a coup for Hamilton. Usually when the full exhibition comes to New Zealand it is held at Auckland Museum. Sometimes a smaller version featuring a selection of the works is taken to regional centres.

It won’t just be photos hanging on walls. Some of the images will be displayed using lightboxes, giving them an almost cinematic quality.

And, like the best examples of photojournalism, many of the images tell a story – albeit a frequently unhappy one, with recurring themes of extinction, loss of habitat and other forms of human-inflicted cruelty.

‘‘This is the most prestigious photography award of its kind and we are thrilled to be the first New Zealand hosts for this year’s exhibition,’’ museum director Liz Cotton said.

‘‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year provides a global platform to showcase some of the best photography talent from around the world for over 55 years.

‘‘This year’s award winners includes a stunning image by New Zealander photographer Richard Robinson, highlighting the work done to protect New Zealand’s population of tohorā (southern right whales).’’

Robinson’s photo, titled The Right Look, depicts a close encounter with one of the gigantic mammals in the waters near Auckland Island.

With the young whale investigating him, Robinson’s main challenge was to swim far enough from the curious calf to photograph it. The encounter lasted 30 minutes, with the whale circling him, swimming off, then returning for another look.

New Zealand’s population of tohorā were hunted to near extinction by European whalers in the 1800s, then by Soviet whalers in the 1900s.

Now protected, the population has bounced back from a small group including just 13 breeding females, to more than 2000 individuals.

‘‘We look forward to welcoming visitors from around the country to Waikato Museum to see these incredible images, including those with a passion for photography, the environment, and our natural world.’’

Launched in 1965, the competition receives entries from more than 90 countries. Those deemed award-worthy are sent on an international tour that allows them to be seen by more than a million people.

Every entry was judged anonymously on its creativity, originality, and technical excellence by an international panel of industry experts.

The winning images, including the prestigious Grand Title Award winners, will be announced on October 11 during an award show hosted by wildlife presenter and conservationist Chris Packham.

‘‘Captured by some of the best photography talent from around the world, the 100 photographs encourage curiosity, connection and wonder,’’ Natural History Museum director Doug Gurr said.

‘‘These inspiring images convey human impact on the natural world in a way that words cannot – from the urgency of declining biodiversity to the inspiring bounce back of a protected species.’’

While many of the exhibitions at Waikato Museum are free, there will be an entry fee for this one, set at $15 for adults, $5 for children and pre-schoolers at not cost.