Microbats of Melbourne is a microbat-specialised rescue and rehabilitation service operating out of Templestowe, Melbourne. As with most wildlife rescue services, they are run completely by volunteers and rely on government and community support.

Melbourne is home to a number of microbat species, and most people have no idea! Microbats are very small, insect-eating bats that emerge at night time to keep insect numbers at bay. Microbats eat lots of different flying insects, including some that make our lives more difficult, such as mosquitoes and agricultural pests.

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 first Gould’s Wattled Bat, she has been obsessed with microbats and has worked with experienced microbat carers, both interstate and internationally, to ensure Victoria's microbats have the best, most current treatment options.

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 bats have been given over the past decades and is committed to educating people about the truth about bats and their crucial role in our Australian landscape. Working with bat-specialised ecologists, Ericka is passionate about contributing to a more positive and sustainable world that we can share with our local microbats and flying foxes.