Microbats of Melbourne was started in 2019 by Ericka. Ericka started rescuing flying foxes and was asked to rescue a microbat when no other rescuers were available. Since that very first Gould’s Wattled Bat, she has been obsessed with microbats and has worked with experienced microbat carers, both interstate and internationally, to ensure the best and most current treatment options are available to Victoria’s microbats.

Ericka is also a virologist with a particular interest in zoonotic diseases (viruses that move from animals to humans) and is completing her PhD researching the rabies virus. She is dedicated to fighting the negative image that bats have been given over the past decades, and committed to educating people on the truth about bats and what a crucial part of our Australian landscape they are. Working with bat specialised ecologists, such as Dr Lindy Lumsden, Ericka is passionate about contributing to a more positive and sustainable world that we can share with our local microbats and flying foxes.