There are many bats (also known as flying foxes) living in the fruit trees in the city centre of Cairns, and you'll easily spot them if you spend some time in the city. Every evening they are out flying, and you can both hear and see them clearly. The first time we saw them we thought that they were birds, both because the bats we're used to back home don't make any hearable sounds, but also because of their large size. It was an amazing sight!
During our stay in Cairns we coincidentally met a girl who had been voluntaring at a bat hospital in Cairns. I didn't even know about this hospital, but she told us about how they take care of a large number of injured and orphaned bats. She had been voluntaring there for approximately two months, and this was apparently her last week. One of the leaders of the nursery had brought with her a 6-month old baby bat to say farewell.
Unfortunately the bats have drastically decreased in numbers recent years, mostly due to human activity in the area. Some people don't like having the bats around, and they want to have the fruit trees where the bats live cut down. If you are interested in helping the bats you can become a volunteer, or you can buy local art that support the bat hospital.
Relevant pages:
The Tolga Bat Hospital: http://www.tolgabathospital.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaveOurBatsSaveOurTrees/
"Volunteers don't get paid, not because they're worthless, but because they're priceless."
(Sherry Anderson)
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