An apparatus for collecting and transporting bales when driven in a displacement direction, the apparatus having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis and comprising: a transport assembly including a bale loading platform and a chassis with the bale loading platform extending above the chassis and being mounted thereto, the bale loading platform comprising at least one bale conveying section extending along the longitudinal axis, between a forward end and a rearward end of the bale loading platform, each one of the at least one bale conveying section including a bale conveying mechanism for moving the bales towards the rearward end of the bale loading platform; and a grasping assembly operatively connected to the transport assembly, the grasping assembly including a mechanical arm having a prehension end effector engageable with the bales, the grasping assembly being configurable between a bale engagement configuration for engaging a corresponding one of the bales laying on a ground surface, a bale capture configuration for capturing and lifting the corresponding one of the bales off the ground surface and a bale release configuration for releasing the corresponding one of the bales onto the bale loading platform and, the apparatus being characterized in that the grasping assembly comprises a movement absorption mechanism including at least one section of the mechanical arm moving longitudinally along the longitudinal axis in a direction opposed to the displacement direction of the apparatus and of a distance substantially matching a travel distance of the transport assembly along the longitudinal axis during the capture of a corresponding one of the bales, to substantially cancel the displacement of the apparatus in the displacement direction during the capture of the corresponding one of the bales. a transport assembly including a bale loading platform and a chassis with the bale loading platform extending above the chassis and being mounted thereto, the bale loading platform comprising at least one bale conveying section extending along the longitudinal axis, between a forward end and a rearward end of the bale loading platform, each one of the at least one bale conveying section including a bale conveying mechanism for moving the bales towards the rearward end of the bale loading platform; and a grasping assembly operatively connected to the transport assembly, the grasping assembly including a mechanical arm having a prehension end effector engageable with the bales, the grasping assembly being configurable between a bale engagement configuration for engaging a corresponding one of the bales laying on a ground surface, a bale capture configuration for capturing and lifting the corresponding one of the bales off the ground surface and a bale release configuration for releasing the corresponding one of the bales onto the bale loading platform and, the apparatus being characterized in that the grasping assembly comprises a movement absorption mechanism including at least one section of the mechanical arm moving longitudinally along the longitudinal axis in a direction opposed to the displacement direction of the apparatus and of a distance substantially matching a travel distance of the transport assembly along the longitudinal axis during the capture of a corresponding one of the bales, to substantially cancel the displacement of the apparatus in the displacement direction during the capture of the corresponding one of the bales.