In 2020, I spent five weeks volunteering at the Tolga Bat Hospital in the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, which primarily cares for orphaned endangered Spectacled Flying Foxes. 

Spectacled flying foxes have declined by about 85% in the past fifteen years, with a changing climate and habitat destruction causing populations to plummet.  Every year from October to December, the hospital cares for over 200 baby flying foxes, and volunteers work around the clock to feed and clean them. Bats have a bad reputation, which has only been exacerbated by COVID-19.  However, these animals are vital keystone pollinators, and without them, many ecosystems would look drastically different or cease to function altogether. 

In between the four daily feeds while volunteering at the hospital, I set up a mini-studio and shot a series of portraits,  titled 'Spilt Milk, of the orphaned pups learning to feed themselves. I wanted the photo series to show the playful and inquisitive nature of these quirky little critters, that are so often thought of as dirty disease carriers.

Volunteering at the bat hospital is like caring for 250 tiny, furry, bug-eyed babies. Normally, the pups spend the start of their life clinging to mum and getting loads of attention from her, so giving the orphaned flying foxes TLC was actively encouraged. This meant that most days, I walked around with a bat or two snoozing in my bra or spent time snuggling with them in the sunshine. When the bats are tiny, volunteers bottle feed each one. But as they grow and start to climb, they begin to learn to feed themselves. Some bats get the hang of drinking straight away, but others spill milk all over themselves, so we use toothbrushes and baby shampoo to clean their little noggins.
In the wild, it's rare to see bats up close, so I didn't truly understand how charismatic these animals are until I spent time looking after them at the bat hospital. Now, I have a newfound respect for them and love seeing them flying through the sky at dusk.