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These baby bats in blankets are beyond cute, but they're also among the many animals affected by the massive flooding in Australia.

The little guys pictured above are five of the 130 orphaned bats rescued by director Trish Wimberley and the other caretakers at the Australian Bat Clinic and Wildlife Trauma Centre.

Saving These Babies
Young bats are extremely susceptible during natural disasters such as floods because they feed on the ground, where they're vulnerable. Rescued baby bats are bottle-fed and kept hanging on clotheslines or in special intensive care units for four weeks or so, until they're ready to fly on their own.

Wimberley emphasizes the bats' importance in the ecosystem. "Bats are a barometer to what is going on in the environment. They're our canaries down the coal mine," she says.

How You Can Help
Interested in helping? You can purchase a membership or make a donation on the Australian Bat Clinic website, or to learn about other ways to help affected animals ranging from kangaroos to turtles and wombats, go to Animals Australia. If you are particularly concerned about the pets and livestock, consider donating to the Australian RSPCA. Our friends at Catster note that this link is the best one for a credit card donation to the RSPCA.