Bats Just Love Eating Mulberry Leaves! - Meet Poppy The Camera Grabber, With A Few Of Her Mates

Did you know that bats or flying foxes actually love to eat mulberry leaves? Yes, the leaves, not just the fruit.

Some people say they only eat the leaves when really hungry and desperate, but these bats are very well fed by their wonderful bat mom, Mandi.

And she has noticed for years that they actually love eating the leaves of the mulberry tree. So when you see your mulberry tree being 'attacked' by something at night and its the leaves are being eaten more than the fruit, think...ah ha, flying foxes!

Watch how they use their thumbs to pull and grab the leaves AS WELL AS the camera, especially Poppy, the budding selfie Queen. She's so adorable!

FUN FACTS ABOUT MULBERRY

Mulberry (Morus spp), the traditional food for silk worms, has been selected and improved for leaf yield and quality in many environments and is now available throughout the world.

Apparently mulberry leaves are highly palatable and digestible (70-90%) to many herbivorous animals, bats or flying foxes included. They have quite a high protein content, both in the leaves and young stems, between 15-28%.

In terms of digestible nutrients, mulberry produces more than most traditional forages. The leaves can be used as supplements, replacing concentrates for dairy cattle and as the main feed for goats and sheep.

Ref. Manuel D. Sánchez; Animal Production and Health Division; FAO, Rome.

MORE ABOUT MANDI

Mandi has been a licenced bat carer for nearly 30 years. She lives in Southeast Queensland and cares for bats from her personal funds and any donations she may receive.

She looks after baby bats, orphaned bats, injured bats and even geriatric bats who are allowed to live out their days in the blissful batty comfort of her loving care.

Being an individual carer and not a member of a Not-For-Profit wildlife organisation, she does not receive any form of government financial support or grant monies.

FUNDRAISING FOR MANDI'S BATS

This video is part of a fundraising initiative to help Mandi feed her bats and improve her aviaries.

The Tolga Bat Hospital in Far North Queensland is supportive of Mandi and is happy to take donations for her bats.

Go to: https://tolgabathospital.org/donate/

OR: If you have access to a PayPal account, then click this link to go directly to Tolga Bat Hospital's PayPal donations: https://www.paypal.com/au/fundraiser/charity/3693956

IMPORTANT: Once you have donated, PLEASE EMAIL JENNY AT: jenny@tolgabathospital.org

Tell her your donation is "For Mandi's Bats” and include the amount and the name under which you donated. OR just forward your PayPal receipt to Jenny.

This is very important as PayPal does not include details of donations received, so Tolga Bat Hospital will not know if the money is meant for Tolga or for Mandi.

Tolga Bat Hospital's "PayPal Giving Fund" does not charge any fees, so the bats get all the money.

And ALL donations over $2 are tax-deductible too. Yay!

THANK YOU! ;-)

MORE ABOUT AUSTRALIAN FLYING FOXES:

Despite the 'bad press' flying-foxes have had (not helped by Hollywood and images of terrifying blood-sucking bats!), they are adorable sentient creatures and the most amazing flying mammals.

In fact, they are the largest flying Australian mammal and the only mammal in Australia that is the closest genetically to humans - go figure!

Maybe we were meant to fly, but the bats beat us to it!

For more videos like this, go to: "Discover Bats" playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQrN5eNL5RhOIhD8Erg2cFyPrENv1ct-8

ABOUT IRENE ISAACSON:

Irene Isaacson (aka ex-iFototravel platform) is a passionate travel and wildlife photographer. Whilst traveling over 1 million miles and across many continents over the last 10-15 years, she has honed her photography, videography, and photojournalism skills.

With a particular love of experiencing all manner of wildlife interactions, Irene has also been a volunteer and active member of many global wildlife organizations.

These include Not-For-Profit organizations, many of which benefit from regular donations from her photography business profits. She shares her adventures in the hope to raise awareness of conservation and environmental issues, using her platform to inspire, support, and enact change.

Irene says: “We are all stewards of our planet. Between us all, we can help secure the future of our world and the plants and animals within it. It only needs to start with one person…”

Say Hi on Socials:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ireneisaacsonphotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ireneisaacsonphotography
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/ireneisaacsonphotography

For more information:
• Email: ireneisaacsonphotography@gmail.com
• Mobile: +61 407 126 750
• Website: www.ireneisaacsonphotography.com
• For Irene's Travel Articles: www.travel2next.com/author/irene-isaacson

https://www.Tubebuddy.com/ireneisaacsonphotography

#mandisbats #batseatingmulberryleaves #ireneisaacson