From none to 50,000. Why flying foxes are moving west across Australia
July 30, 2024 9:32 PM Subscribe
From none to 50,000. Why flying foxes are moving west across Australia. Flying foxes are being driven further west in search of food and shelter. Camps have been found west of Adelaide for the first time.
They're such amazing animals, and I didn't expect them in my first trip to Australia... On my second day I was birding in the Brisbane botanic gardens, saw a couple dark shapes flying over, and came to the label realization that those weren't birds.
posted by kaibutsu at 10:31 PM on July 30
posted by kaibutsu at 10:31 PM on July 30
Flying Foxes (AKA Fruit Bats) are certainly still around on the West Coast in large numbers, although I think they're more concentrated now than they used to be, because of habitat destruction. We see and hear them every night all around our home. This concentration has caused many issues when it occurs near homes, due to the noise and their corrosive, paint-staining droppings. Because they're protected, there's often a lot of tension between authorities who can't do anything even if they wanted to and residents who just want to sleep and don't want the paint blistering off their cars. I do think there's still a bit of the old 'bats will get tangled in my hair and drink my blood' thing going on, beyond the actual nuisance they create. As always, the bats were here first and it's up to humans to deal with the outcome of human mismanagement of the planet, not the bats.
They are definitely cute, although most people won't ever see their cute side, only seeing them as bat-shaped silhouettes against the night sky. This doesn't help their public image much.
posted by dg at 11:20 PM on July 30 [1 favorite]
They are definitely cute, although most people won't ever see their cute side, only seeing them as bat-shaped silhouettes against the night sky. This doesn't help their public image much.
posted by dg at 11:20 PM on July 30 [1 favorite]
Flying foxes are a daily aerial spectacle in many regions of eastern Australia.
It's hard to avoid becoming familiarised with their chatters and squawks but also smell. They like to roost in the big Moreton Bay figs that are ubiquitous in the parks surrounding Sydney's CBD and on hot days they cool off by peeing on their own wings.
posted by neonamber at 11:25 PM on July 30
It's hard to avoid becoming familiarised with their chatters and squawks but also smell. They like to roost in the big Moreton Bay figs that are ubiquitous in the parks surrounding Sydney's CBD and on hot days they cool off by peeing on their own wings.
posted by neonamber at 11:25 PM on July 30
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posted by neonamber at 9:59 PM on July 30 [1 favorite]