The Extraordinary Lives of Bats: A Reunion Story

Article by Karina Lim, ACRES Wildlife Rescue and Rehab Manager

On 6 October 2025, ACRES rescued a juvenile cave nectar bat from the ground floor of an HDB block. Upon arrival, the team assessed the bat who was actively calling out into the night. A quick check showed no injuries. It was healthy. Just far too young to be alone.

Right image: The grounded juvenile cave nectar bat during the initial rescue on 6 October 2025 | Left image: Sleeping juvenile cave nectar bat after the rescue (Photos by Carmen Choong)

The following night, the team returned to the same area. We walked around actively looking for bat activity. For nearly an hour, nothing. Then, faint shapes began to cut through the darkness. Adult cave nectar bats, drawn in by the pup's occasional calls.

We placed the pup gently on a tree about 2 metres above the ground. And then, we waited. 

What happened next felt almost magical.

Within minutes, two adult bats appeared near the pup.

The adult cave nectar bats are circled in yellow and the green circle shows the approximate position of the juvenile (Photo by Karina Lim)

They circled again and again, making repeated passes around the pup. After about four minutes, one of the bats swooped down, wrapping its wings around the tiny pup in a soft, precise motion. The air itself seemed to hold still as we watched. 

A brief pause. Then lift off.

In one fluid motion, the adult carried the pup back into the night. Both bats vanished immediately after and the night was still again. The entire reunion lasted less than five minutes, but it carried the weight of something much bigger. 

We are unable to confirm if the bat was indeed the mother of the juvenile. However, cave nectar bats are known to recognise their young through vocalisations. There’s also a small chance the pup was retrieved by another female, hinting at social behaviours we are only beginning to understand.

And that’s the thing about bats. The more you try to understand, the more extraordinary they become.

Cave nectar bats are long-distance travellers, capable of covering over 38 km in a single night. As nectar feeders, they play a crucial role as pollinators and help plants reproduce as they move from flower to flower. Many of the trees we take for granted rely on animals like them to survive and regenerate. These bats roost in large colonies in caves, old buildings and under concrete bridges. In Singapore, they can be found in several locations, such as under large flyovers, though they are rare.

In a city like Singapore, where green spaces are fragmented and flowering trees can be scattered, these bats navigate a complex urban landscape with remarkable precision. They remember feeding routes, revisit reliable food sources and adapt to environments shaped heavily by humans. Quietly and consistently, they keep ecosystems ticking.

Even the small details in this rescue raise questions. Two adults arriving together. Leaving together. In a species where males may not typically be involved in parental care, what exactly did we witness? A coincidence? A closer look at social bonds? A glimpse into behaviour we haven’t fully understood yet?

There is still so much happening around us that we rarely notice and can barely comprehend.

On this International Bat Appreciation Day, let’s recognise bats beyond common misconceptions. They are also mothers searching for their young. Pollinators sustaining our forests. Navigators of a world that is constantly changing around them.

And sometimes, if everything aligns just right, they find their way back to each other.