Veteran Australian broadcaster Richard Morecroft, who passed away at 70 this week, was known for his work on ABC and SBS. In 1987, he fostered a grey-headed flying fox pup named Archie during broadcasts, keeping it warm in a handkerchief under his shirt. Morecroft documented their journey in a Wildscreen episode, highlighting the challenges of raising an orphaned bat and discussing threats to its species' survival.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Late veteran presenter Richard Morecroft is best known for his decades of news reading, but unbeknownst to viewers, he was sometimes joined at the desk by a furry companion.
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he → know → companion
Morecroft, who died this week aged 70, was a familiar presence as an ABC 7PM NSW anchor, BTN presenter and host of Letters and Numbers on SBS.
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who → die → SBS
But if you were to peek under his shirt as he read particular news bulletins in late 1987, you would find another passion.
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you → peek → passion
Morecroft originally thought it was a boy and named it Archie.
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it → think → it
"I think probably of its species, that little flying fox ... was probably the best educated in terms of knowledge of news and current affairs," he said in late December, 2001.
"Thousands of people watching at home wouldn't have known that there was a small furry animal wrapped in a handkerchief stuffed inside my shirt.
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Thousands → think → shirt
The presenter said the handkerchief was used to keep the pup warm.
Stars of television
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handkerchief → say → television
Morecroft fostered two-week-old Archie, who he believed belonged to the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park colony, after completing a Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES) training course in the late 1980s.
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he → foster → 1980s
Archie and Morecroft recorded their journey together in a 30-minute Wildscreen episode with ABC TV's natural history unit, titled Raising Archie.
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Archie → record → unit
"This is a young grey-headed flying fox which came from a colony not very far from Sydney," he explained during the program.
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he → fly → program
"His mother died and so I'm the new foster parent for a few months.
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I → die → months
"What we're hoping is that eventually he will be able to rejoin the colony and get back into the wild."
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he → hop → wild
He said pups needed lots of attention.
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pups → say → attention
They have to have nappies changed, their fur cleaned and be wrapped up as they would be in their mother's wings."
At one point, Morecroft encouraged an older Archie to fly.
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Morecroft → have → Archie
The documentary also highlighted threats facing colonies, including overdevelopment and the impact of flying foxes raiding orchards.
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foxes → highlight → orchards
Morecroft also interviewed iconic naturalist, David Attenborough, with an older bat named Gollum.
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Morecroft → interview → bat
A letter Morecroft sent to his trainer in November 1987 reveals more about how he cared for Archie.
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he → send → Archie
"It's been a delight (and occasionally quite a challenge) to have the opportunity to raise a young flying fox," he wrote.
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he → have → fox
"According to weight and forearm measurements (90 grams and 60 millimetres) a couple of days after receiving her, she must have been very young when orphaned.
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she → accord → her
"However, she seems to be progressing well (now 107g and forearm 71mm) and is enjoying exercise sessions."
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forearm → seem → sessions
He said Archie "took particular delight" in being groomed.
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Archie → say → delight
"Warm, damp cotton buds are great for the armpits and the 'hip pits!'" the letter read.
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letter → read → armpits
"And a soft baby's toothbrush grooming the fur produces either a relaxed ecstasy or a vigorous cooperative effort with tongue and one foot."
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toothbrush → groom → tongue
John George, whose late wife Helen trained hundreds of people to care for native animals, including Morecroft, said the presenter was "totally committed".
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presenter → train → Morecroft
"She loved it, loved him and she could rely on him totally," he said.
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he → love → him
'An antidote'
WIRES founder Mikla Lewis still remembers being surprised by Morecroft's call.
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Lewis → remember → call
"One day I picked up the phone and this voice on the other end said, 'Hello, I'm Richard Morecroft and I'd like to join'," she said.
"
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she → pick → end
I definitely knew who he was."
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he → know → ?
She said he was "really besotted" with Archie.
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he → say → Archie
"Perhaps looking after a baby flying fox was a bit of an antidote to the dreadful things that were happening in the world at that time."
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that → look → time
Evolution of caring for bats
WIRES bat unit coordinator Storm Stanford said bats these days did not stay with carers as long, and incubators were used for warmth to reduce disease risks.
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incubators → care → risks
"Back when Richard was doing it, we didn't know about lyssavirus or, I think it just came in the year after or a few months after he was doing the caring," Ms Stanford said.
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Stanford → do → caring
She said the disease was spread by saliva through a cut or a bite, which could cause a fever, fatigue and seizures.
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which → say → fever
There is a vaccine, but people are told not to handle bats, even while wearing gloves.
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people → be → gloves
Ms Stanford said caring for a pup could take at least four or five hours a day.
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caring → say → pup
Archie was eventually sent to a creche to socialise with other bats away from their carers, before being released back into the colony.
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Archie → send → colony
Morecroft died earlier this week on the south coast of NSW after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
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Morecroft → die → cancer
The Aporia