This course has two components.
1. An online component from Saturday the 8th of June to Thursday the 27th of June.
- It is an introductory course to provide new flying-fox carers with the theoretical basics needed to participate in the practical hands-on session.
- It is a refresher course to keep current flying-fox carers up-to-date in rescue and care techniques. To ensure the welfare of flying-foxes in care all flying-fox carers must refresh their knowledge every three years.
There are specific DPE (Department of Planning and Environment), licensing criteria relating to the rehabilitation of flying-foxes which change over time. It is essential that those rescuing and caring for flying-foxes are equipped and trained to meet these criteria.
2. A practical hands-on session on the 29th of June at Callan Park, Lilyfield from 10 AM to 4 PM.
- It is to introduce new flying-fox carers to the practical aspects of rescuing and caring for flying-foxes that are not possible in an online course. It is also for new members from another wildlife organisation who have not done Sydney Wildlife's Basic and Refresher Flying-fox Course.
- Please note that you MUST be rabies-vaccinated to attend. The information in the Flying-fox Vaccination Guide below has information about the course of vaccinations and when to start the vaccination schedule in time to have your titres in order to attend the practical.
New flying-fox carers need to successfully complete both the online and the practical to be authorised to rescue and care for flying-foxes.
You will need to bring this equipment with you to the practical:
- a straight-sided cat carry-cage
- a Vernier callipers (plastic ones are fine)
- digital kitchen scales
- scissors suitable for cutting net
- towels.
Other essential components of a flying-fox rescue kit will be available to purchase on the day at a good price. These include:
- gauntlets
- mumma rolls
- teats, bottles and dummies
- a sling and a travel label.
If you are a new flying-fox rescuer/carer you MUST be rabies-vaccinated and wear appropriate PPE to handle bats.
- Please read the Flying-fox Vaccination Guide below carefully.
- Sydney Wildlife keeps a record of carer's titre levels.
- Please email your titres to Diane Jenner (Bat Admin Manager) before the practical session.
Flying-fox Vaccination Guide
Please refer to the Flying-fox Policy, Vaccinations (p. 7) on Wild Apricot.
All flying-fox rescuers and rehabilitators/carers must have completed a rabies pre- or post-exposure vaccination program.
A member must not accept a rescue, care for a bat, enter a bat enclosure or intentionally come into contact with a bat if their titres have not been verified as 1 IU/mL or above within the preceding two years.
All vaccinations, titres and booster procedures are to be undertaken by individual members and the results registered with the Bat Admin Manager (Diane Jenner).
A titre blood test must be done every 2 years, with boosters if necessary, if titre levels fall below SWR policy. Currently the required titre level for SWR members is 1IU/ml or higher.
An updated list of members trained and approved to rescue and care for flying-foxes is provided to branch coordinators around 30th of September every year.
Coordinators are notified if a branch member’s training or titres have lapsed, resulting in the member being removed from the bat list.
Vaccine stores can sometimes be low. Make sure you have your biennial test, and boosters if necessary, in good time to avoid the risk of losing your ability to rescue or care.
Current pre-exposure vaccination requirements are 3 doses:
- day 1 = first dose
- day 7 = 2nd dose
- between days 21 and 28 = third dose.
- A titre (serology) test MUST be done 14 days after the third dose to check antibody levels.
General practitioners frequently don’t hold a store of vaccine. You may need to order it from a chemist.
- Your doctor can give you a prescription for a chemist to order vaccine for the 3 vaccinations.
- Ask the chemist to let you know when the vaccine is expected to arrive so that you can make the appointments with your doctor at an appropriate time. If necessary, ask the chemist to store the vaccine until your first appointment to ensure that it is kept at the appropriate storage temperature.
- Make sure your doctor is aware that the titre test is needed after the three vaccinations have been administered and gives you a referral to a pathology lab, or a referral for blood testing onsite. This will avoid paying for another consultation.
Find out what the cost of each visit will be. Nurses administer vaccinations at some medical practices; ask whether this is the case.
If you need a pre-exposure vaccination program, start the process as soon as you can. It will take time, especially if vaccines need to be ordered and if stores are low.
Cost subsidy
-
If you have a healthcare fund, find out if they subsidise some or all of the cost.
-
SWR will subsidise a portion of the cost of vaccinations after completion of training on the understanding that the member will become an active flying-fox rescuer and/or carer.
-
Further subsidy may be available through branches. Please check with your coordinator.
-
An expense claim form must be submitted to the SWR Treasurer (Diane Jenner), with a copy of receipts for all vaccination injections and the titre test result. Include details of a health fund subsidy if applicable.
-
A copy of vaccination receipts and titre tests must be sent to the Bat Admin Manager (Diane Jenner).
Details regarding Australian Bat Lyssavirus and the pre-exposure vaccination program in NSW, can be found in the Flying-fox Manual on Wild Apricot or on the NSW Health page.
