November 2014 Fruit Bat deaths across NSW

3 posts / 0 new
Last post
Shirley Hardy
Shirley Hardy's picture
November 2014 Fruit Bat deaths across NSW

When my brother was at Casino, NSW earlier this month he took this video of the fruit bats. 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10205199408250919

Then on the 15th November 2014, just over a week later after coming home, the fruit bats started falling dead from the trees. It had been 44 degrees Celcius for a while, and thereafter, and not many of the bats survived.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/heatwave-hell-as-5000-dead-bats-drop-from-trees-in-casino-northern-nsw/story-fni0cx12-1227126679445?nk=9497a4ff2795dfc0d1f967f2fc7b39a4

I was just wondering if there were any other reported Fruit Bat deaths in NSW (or in the rest of the country for that matter) around that time (15th November 2014). If yes, please add any information you can provide below in a comment.

Wollemi
Wollemi's picture

I can tell you that many of those bats that died in Casino were mothers with young and the young have been fostered out to carers.

Whenever there are three days in a row over 40 degrees celsius there is a risk of flying fox deaths from heat stress.

Flying foxes come to grief from other sources as well including barbed wire, car collisions, fruit tree netting, being shot (which is illegal without a permit), poisoning (also illegal).

Shirley Hardy
Shirley Hardy's picture

Thanks for your comment, Wollemi. Yes, I read that on the Internet about the young fruit bats being fostered out to carers because the mothers died. It is such a shame really that it happened but I guess its nature's way of thinning out large populations. I've also heard that fruit bats can be electricuted on power lines, too. I know they get stuck on power lines from time to time and can't get off them. I've heard about bats in general coming to grief from barbed wire fences. What a horrible way to die, though. Having the flesh on their wings shredded like that.

I'm at Tenterfield, NSW. (Formerly known as "Hyperbirds".)

 and   @birdsinbackyards
                 Subscribe to me on YouTube