the bat hospital visitor centre

Arsenaldreams

Always nice when visitors comment on the 'cute factor' as bats often suffer from a negative public image. For this reason education is a vital part of holistically caring for bats. And yes we are a different form of tourist attraction as we grew out of being primarily a rescue and rehabilitation centre.

onge2013

I remember your lovely 3 generation family coming to visit the Bat Hospital and your hesitation at first in being too close to the bats. Great that you left feeling a lot better about bats. Thank you very much for taking the time to review.

Ewingston

We hadn't booked a tour but we were made welcome and were lucky enough to tag along with a party that had. We saw mega bats and micro bats and we learned about a whole range of possible reasons why bats finish up in hospital. It is a pity that there isn't more support for the work that they do there since without them, the bats would have even less chance of survival. Go if you can, you won't be disappointed.

tempsh

We read about this in a brochure whilst visiting the Atherton Tablelands and decided to call in. Actually at this time of the year you need to book. We didn't know, and luckily arrived just as the lady was about to do a tour with another couple. It was just terrific - so informative. There is a short film showing what the Bat Centre and Hospital is all about. Then you get to see several different types of bats with their individual characteristics. It is so unusual to be able to get this close to bats, and I would recommend anybody visiting this part of the world to take advantage of the opportunity. It costs $18 per person which is great value and the proceeds are ploughed back into the centre.

KellyZeevat

Kelly, I'm sorry you couldn't see what many others see in the bats here, intelligent and engaging animals that are mammals just like us. In the last few weeks cute photos of our orphans went 'viral' on the internet. The header from Buzzfeed 'This bat hospital will restore your faith in humanity' and from another website 'Adorable baby bat hospital will change the way you think about bats". National Geographic had an article in time for Halloween " Bats matter in a big way in countless ecosystems around the world. In truth, the only thing scary about bats is the rate at which they're disappearing." I don't remember your visit, but I hope that you found our facilities and friendly staff impressive even if you didn't like the bats.

MewMewPewPew

First time to see little red flying fox bubs close up. As sweet as they are, the hospital provides awareness and educates the public on the difficulties these bats face. The volunteers here are doing a marvellous job in rehabilitating bats that come on. Thank you for your warm welcome <3 it was so nice to return and see the recovery after cyclone yasi.

onepenguinonthemove

My partner and I visited the Bat Hospital in June. He used to survey bats back in Ireland and I'd been on a couple of surveys, so we have a passing interest in what Jenny and her team do. There was a lot of informative information to read and watch on the bats, which will be of interest to both young and old. Jenny showed us the various enclosures and their inhabitants from the tiny microbats to the larger flying foxes. She imparted a lot of information on their habitats, threats, rehab progress and their reason for being in the hospital. We watched the bats being fed and to be honest we were sad to leave. The love that Jenny and her amazing team have for their bats is astounding and their enthusiasm is infectious. You'll be smiling for the rest of the day! This was one of our highlights of our trip to the Tablelands. I can heartily recommend it, and if I'm in the region again, I will definitely visit again!

millyj2014

Whether or not you already know about the ecological importance of macrobats and microbats and how threatened they are by humans, a visit to the Bat Hospital should not be missed. The highly informative tour, seeing and observing the bats and flying foxes up close, will definitely be a highlight of any trip to Queensland. This was my first trip to Australia, and the visit to the Bat Hospital ranked high on my list of memorable experiences.... and that is saying something as the other memorable experiences were in the wilderness! Jenny, your work is greatly appreciated also by nature lovers in the Northern Hemisphere!

Justretired617

The visit to the Bat Hospital was well worth while. Informative, educational, awe inspiring and down right amazing. Helen was our guide and her wealth of knowledge of these little Aussies is phenomenal. We met a variety of tiny micro bats as well as their larger macro cousins. We saw them feeding on insects, fresh fruit and as a special treat mango nectar. The rehabilitated bats are released back into the wild but some due to the degree of their injuries would never survive alone so the Bat Hospital cares for them permanently. My advice ... don't leave Atherton without visiting the Bat Hospital.

withinthebays

Our visit to the Bat Hospital was the highlight of our day! Jenny showed us around the various enclosures and explained what happened to the bats in her care and at what stage they are on their way back into the wild. We had no idea that bats had so many enemies: barbed wire, birds of prey, cats and even ceiling fans! Their recovery is surely an exercise in patience for Jenny! It was amazing to see them looking back at you: so curious and so trusting! It was clear they were very well looked after by a person who loves them very much!

LaurieLeeD

Thanks you. It was a bit hectic on our Open Day as we weren't really expecting 160 people coming through in 2 hours. Much easier pace on a normal day where each personalised tour is usually just your family group.

lanamom

We first met jenny, the guide at the gate, and as she's explaining the tour I see a towel behind her moving and a tiny black nose poking out. It was two baby flying foxes they were nursing - awwww!! Already the tour was worth it! We spent over an hour learning about the flying foxes, seeing the great work they are doing and meeting many of them! We learned so much and we are so impressed with what they are doing here. Jenny really loves her work and it shows!

632alexandraf

We feel very privileged to be your favourite stop in all of Queensland. Good that a small enterprise such as the Bat Hospital, run entirely by volunteers, can have that sort of impact. Though of course it's the amazing diversity and personalities of the bats you meet here that have the impact. Thank you for taking the time to review.

moetfan

We had a wonderful experience at the Bat Hospital today. Our guide was welcoming and very knowledgable telling us everything we could ever want to know. Well worth a visit!

ashlynz_13

Wow, in your top 5, that is great because I remember you said you'd been travelling in Australia for 1 year. We find no matter how much people know about bats before they come here we have something to engage them. It's no wonder with 1295 bat species in the world and about 83 in Australia. For many though it's just the experience of being able to watch up close a relaxed animal going about it's business - especially a microbat that is usually just flitting past in the dark catching insects.