Bindi Irwin has spoken of her ‘heartbreak’ after 47 helpless bats were killed in a ‘deliberately lit’ fire.
A wildlife group rescued the surviving animals from Dularcha Railway Tunnel in Mooloolah Valley, Queensland, before they were taken to the Irwin family’s Zoo Wildlife Hospital in Beerwah.
The tiny animals were suffering from ‘severe burns and toxic fume inhalation’.
‘We are deeply saddened to hear that these beautiful microbats were intentionally harmed in the wild,’ Bindi said in a statement provided to news.com.au.
‘It is heartbreaking to see these animals suffer in their home, and we hope that we can bring them justice through our partnership with Crime Stoppers Queensland.’
Most of the animals had already died, with several more euthanised onsite when it was deemed they could not survive their burns.
‘It is extremely devastating to witness such intentional harm inflicted upon wildlife,’ Dr Ludo Valenza, a Zoo Wildlife Hospital vet, said in a statement.
It comes after Bindi was forced to defend herself after fans accused her of Photoshopping her latest Instagram post.
Bindi Irwin (pictured) has spoken of her ‘heartbreak’ after 47 helpless bats were killed in a ‘deliberately lit’ fire
The n TV personality, 26, shared a series of photos earlier this month of a red panda on the lap of her three-year-old daughter Grace.
In a second image, the animal is seen standing on Bindi while she sits near her young daughter.
‘Meet Teddy. The sweetest red panda with a true love for snack time. I hope you can meet him on your next #Zoo adventure,’ Bindi captioned the post.
However, some fans were quick to question if Teddy had in fact been Photoshopped to make it appear as if he was standing on Bindi’s lap.
‘Pretty sure that’s a Photoshop image….’ one follower commented on the post.
A wildlife group rescued the surviving animals from Dularcha Railway Tunnel in Mooloolah Valley, Queensland before they were taken to the Irwin family’s Zoo Wildlife Hospital in Beerwah
‘We are deeply saddened to hear that these beautiful microbats were intentionally harmed in the wild,’ Bindi said in a statement
‘He looks Photoshopped into the second one!’ another said while a third wrote: ‘It almost looks fake.’
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Other fans questioned the size of the panda and whether he had been enlarged.
The debate grew so heated that Bindi was forced to address the speculation in the comments section.
‘I think it’s so funny how some people think that our sweet red panda was Photoshopped,’ she wrote.
‘I can tell you with absolute certainty that these photos are 100% real (thank you @kateberryphotography for taking such beautiful pictures) and Teddy is in no way Photoshopped.’
Kate Berry is a Brisbane-based ecologist and professional wildlife photographer who is employed by Zoo.
It comes after Bindi was accused of Photoshopping a red panda onto the lap of her three-year-old daughter Grace in new images shared to her Instagram page
Bindi didn’t appear too fussed by the comments, gently ribbing Teddy’s detractors.
‘Hope you have a wonderful day and just a note…I’ll always share real wildlife moments with you. That’s kinda my thing…’ she ended, adding a golden-heart emoji.
Some fans defended her, with one saying: ‘Why would this page ever Photoshop themselves with an animal, it’s a ZOO.’
‘We saw Teddy yesterday and he was the sweetest lil’ thing,’ another said.
Bindi also posted video clips of the encounter with Teddy, putting to rest any further speculation.
‘Teddy absolutely adoring his snacks. It’s so important to me to share our wildlife with you and hopefully encourage everyone to take part in conserving, loving and respecting our natural world. Plus, it makes my heart beyond happy to see Grace’s JOY with our darling red panda,’ she captioned the short video.
Some fans were quick to question if the panda named Teddy had in fact been Photoshopped to make it appear as if he was standing on Bindi’s lap in the second image