Located in northern Queensland, in the spectacularly scenic Atherton Tablelands, this bat hospital rescues, rehabilitates and releases several species of native Australian bats. Bats have long been the victims of negative public opinion, and this coupled with loss a habitat, are the root causes of many problems facing their conservation. The hospital dedicates its efforts to rescuing sick, injured and orphaned bats and treats all four species of Australian flying foxes, including Spectacled flying foxes and Little Red flying foxes, Tube-Nosed Fruit bats, and even a few microbats such as such as Nyctophilus and 3 species of Freetails. Common problems seen at the centre include tick paralysis, injuries from entanglement in barbed wire fencing, and bat pups that have been orphaned for a variety of reasons. The best time of year to volunteer is October to February when hundreds of flying foxes with tick paralysis come into care and up to 500 orphans are being reared. World class facilities house the bats while in care, and a handful of permanent resident flying foxes act as ambassadors for the educational program. This organization believes that education is the best antidote for the prevalence of poor public attitudes towards bats and flying foxes in particular and offers educational programs through their visitor centre.

Includes: 1 night in Cairns hostel, Pick up from Atherton bus stop, Accommodation, Meals, On-site training, Donation to Placement Partner, AEI Travel Manual, $10 Credit in our Zazzle store (towards the purchase of recycled water bottles, reusable bags, etc), American and Canadian clients get 50% off at the online AEI IceBreaker store, Emergency support while at Placement, Carbon credits to offset 3 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, Premium Individual Travel Insurance (up to $500, 000 USD in emergency medical coverage), Travel discounts (through automatic membership to a volunteer only travel discount program), 24/7 Travel and emergency assistance. Are you thinking of fundraising for a portion, or all your fees? Many of our clients have been very successful with their fundraising efforts. To learn more about their successful fundraising projects and see how you can fund raise for your experience, please visit our fundraising page!

Excludes: Airport shuttle pick up, Flights, Entry visa costs, bus to/from Cairns and Atherton, International and domestic airport taxes, Immunizations and medications. Note: The rabies vaccine is required for this Experience, if volunteers are interested in becoming rabies vaccinated, the average cost is $600- $1000 in North America.

Accommodation: You will be staying on-site in the organization’s volunteer housing. All meals are provided by the Placement Partner. Are you nervous about travel and your safety? It's okay, travelling and volunteering can be overwhelming, that is why we exist! To help you travel safe, volunteer smartly and get back home in one piece. To read more about how we help you stay safe, please read our Guide to Safety.

Volunteer Activities: Medical volunteer activities include assessing, diagnosing and treating sick and injured bats. Standard volunteer activities include cleaning enclosures, feeding the bats, helping with orphaned bat pups, helping with administrative tasks, and assisting with education and outreach programs.

This is an ongoing program with operations every day of the year. There are no specific start or end dates. We work with you and your schedule so you can serve this community and help animals when you are available. Placements with the most animal interaction will be during the busy season (October to March). April to September is the low season. During the low season, the volunteers will take part in diets/enrichment/cleaning for permanent care bats, diets for some acute care bats and cleaning the enclosures.

Classification of Placement: Medical: Entry, Advanced and Specialized. Standard: Entry, Advanced and Specialized.

All classifications of volunteers are needed by this Placement partner and we encourage you to apply no matter your skill or experience level. However, if you are looking for a Placement to use your specific skills, the professionals who would be most beneficial to this placement would be volunteers with experience in: veterinary medicine, photography, construction and design.

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