Wildlife caring (indeed life) is made up of a whole series of moments: some good, some bad – some bordering on horrific, and some dancing around the edges of pure joy and ecstasy. Then there are others; moments that just are – defining neat labels or description. This one happened yesterday morning.

Background: five current bats in the dedicated room, one of which is a juvenile black male at 17 weeks old. The others are two adult females, and two other female juveniles. After being in care for one month, he has an operation to remove the outer phalange on F4, and trim up the associated membrane. This releases a ragged necrotic mess, and he is already doing short flights – all good. Young Ricky is bold and naughty – not scared or clingy in any way.

Three weeks after he arrives in care, in comes a mature female at the end of lactation, who needs an operation to remove a fishhook deeply embedded in her right shoulder. Antibiotics and good home cooking has seen that injury almost fully healed. She, “Scary Girl” (because she is timid and jumpy) is a highly-strung animal – the opposite of Ricky. The stage is set.

Yesterday morning, before work, sees the usual routine of cleaning up the bats room (after all night chiropteran partying), and doing the usual “ward round” of medications and treatment. After clean up, they congregate at the back of the double airers to catch the first morning sun. Young Ricky nonchalantly sidles up to Scary Girl, and attempts to suckle. To my amazement, SG opens her wing to let Ricky in, and promptly wraps him up in her wings.

I have never seen anything like this before, such a gentle and touching moment. The literature all suggests that these highly social animals do not accept each other’s bubs, but this wonderful and tender moment in time has no label – it just happened.

There is nothing clingy or dependent about Ricky, in fact, I arrived home from work to find him playing with the other “kids” on the other frame. Not a hint of being with his new mum overnight, but once again this morning – after cleaning the room – there he is wrapped up in her wings. Amazing. Given his bold and naughty nature, and given her “scared off everything” nature, I wonder here, who is actually seeking comfort from whom. It is she, who is allowing this, and I find no cause for alarm – it is just touching.

They were rescued 3 weeks apart, from locations 30 kilometres apart. Mother and son – impossible. But, he lost his mum, and she lost her bub. I make no comment – it just is.