We came across a flying fox hanging from a barbed wire fence. He was beautiful – a rich red brown coloured, shining fur and a cute little mouth. However he was obviously distressed as he tried to disentangle his membrane where it was caught on the wire.

I know that bats can carry the Lyssa virus and although the bat was obviously doomed, I did not want anyone infected with this fatal disease. However we were creative with what we had, and used a backpack cover to both guard his face and suspended him. He remained caught on the fence so we freed him gently using a pocket knife.

What a relief to see the bat free, and none of us hurt.