Bindi Irwin has spoken of her ‘grief’ after 47 helpless bats died in a ‘deliberately started’ fire.
An animal welfare organisation rescued the surviving animals from the Dularcha Railway Tunnel in Mooloolah Valley, Queensland, before transferring them to the Irwin family’s Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital in Beerwah.
The small animals suffered from ‘severe burns and inhalation of toxic fumes’.
“We are deeply saddened to learn that these beautiful microbats have been deliberately mistreated in the wild,” Bindi said in a statement provided to news.com.au.
“It is heartbreaking to see these animals suffering in their homeland. We hope that through our partnership with Crime Stoppers Queensland we can bring justice for them.”
Most of the animals had already died. A number of other animals were euthanized on the spot, because it was thought that they would not survive the burns.
“It is extremely devastating to see wild animals being abused in such a deliberate manner,” Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital veterinarian Dr Ludo Valenza said in a statement.
This came after Bindi had 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 started’ fire
The 26-year-old Australian TV personality shared a series of photos earlier this month of a red panda on her three-year-old daughter Grace’s lap.
A second image shows the animal standing on Bindi as she sits next to her daughter.
“Meet Teddy. The sweetest red panda with a true love for snack time. I hope you get to meet him on your next #AustraliaZoo adventure,” Bindi captioned the post.
However, some fans wondered if Teddy was actually photoshopped to appear as if he was standing on Bindi’s lap.
“I’m pretty sure this is a Photoshop image…,” one follower commented on the post.
An animal welfare organisation rescued the surviving animals from the Dularcha Railway Tunnel in Mooloolah Valley, Queensland, before they were transferred to the Irwin family’s Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital in Beerwah
“We are deeply saddened to learn that these beautiful microbats have been deliberately mistreated in the wild,” Bindi said in a statement
“It looks like the second picture was photoshopped!” said another, while a third wrote: “It almost looks fake.”
Other fans wondered how big the panda was and if it had been enlarged.
The debate became so heated that Bindi felt compelled to respond to the speculation in the comments.
“I find it so funny that some people think our cute red panda is photoshopped,” she wrote.
‘I can tell you with absolute certainty that these photos are 100% real (thank you @kateberryphotography for taking such beautiful photos) and Teddy has not been photoshopped in any way.’
Kate Berry is a Brisbane-based ecologist and professional wildlife photographer employed by Australia Zoo.
This comes after Bindi was accused of photoshopping a red panda onto her three-year-old daughter Grace’s lap, in new images shared to her Instagram page
Bindi didn’t seem too impressed by the comments and gently teased Teddy’s opponents.
“I hope you have a great day and just a quick note… I will always share real wildlife moments with you. That’s kind of my thing…” she finished, adding a golden heart emoji.
Some fans defended her, with one saying, “Why would this page ever Photoshop itself with an animal, it’s a ZOO.”
“We saw Teddy yesterday and he was such a sweet little guy,” said another.
Bindi also posted video clips of the meeting with Teddy, further debunking speculation.
“Teddy loves his treats. It’s so important to me to share our wildlife with you and hopefully encourage everyone to join in protecting, loving and respecting our natural world. Plus, it makes my heart beyond happy to see Grace’s JOY with our adorable red panda,” she captioned the short video.
Some fans were quick to question whether Teddy the panda was actually photoshopped to appear as if he was standing on Bindi’s lap in the second image.