Australian Bats with a Sixth Sense

Last week we featured the poll Do Pets Have a Sixth Sense? In answer to this question, I have to respond with an unequivocal "yes" since our two Oriental Shorthair cats, Hubble and Hush Puppy have an uncanny ability to predict the weather, sometimes hiding under our bed or hunkering down in our living room sofa, way before one of those dangerous electric storms for which Florida is famous, makes its presence. However, I gotta say I was a little freaked out about my own "sixth sense" ability or E.S.P, since I had already started writing a story on this topic, many hours before the poll was released. Who knows, purrhaps one of the cats put a "bug" in my ear! So without further ado, here is the story! The recent bizarre weather which has been affecting folks not only across our county but throughout the world, to say the least has been quite extreme. The record-setting freezing temperatures, blizzards and torrential rain resulting in major flooding with which folks have had to endure have definitely made an impact, not only on humans, but wildlife as well. In Australia, the recent torrential rainfall has created a nightmare for humans and animals who live in the country. According to an article in the Daily Mail Reporter "It's not only the humans who have lost their homes in the Australian floods" Helping to rescue and save 130 orphaned bats on the Gold Cost in the past few weeks, Trish Wimberley, the Director of the Australian Bat Clinic and Wildlife Trauma Centre, along with assistance of her "carers", have done spectacular work. In the 2008 storm season they saved 350 young bats, but they fear that this year, "there is much more going on than just the wild weather." During the past few weeks, the carers have visited many bat "camps" on the coast, only to discover four-week-old babies covered with fly eggs and maggots, lying on the ground. Trish commented, "They're coming down to feed on the ground. That makes them vulnerable. It's not a natural occurrence and shows there is trouble in the environment. Bats are a barometer to what is going on in the environment. They're our 'canaries' down the coal mine" For the next four weeks, until these bat babies are strong enough to fly again, those that survive will be bottle fed, cared for in special intensive care units or kept hanging on clothes lines. Last week northeast Australian residents returned to homes covered in mud, and were keeping their eyes peeled for signs that even more rain threatened, while they anxiously waited for swollen rivers to recede. According to the report the army general heading recovery efforts said, "The scope of the damage is not yet known, and fully repairing the entire infrastructure washed away or ruined could take years." So it actually appears even these adorable tiny flying mammals are gifted with an extraordinary "sixth sense." What kinds of "sixth sense" behavior have your pets revealed? Tell us in a comment. Image Source: Flickr User kb-a