Brief
Greater Sydney Parklands urge public not to handle distressed grey‑headed flying foxes
Officials say heat and poor flowering are driving a starvation crisis for vulnerable grey‑headed flying fox colonies across Sydney.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Greater Sydney Parklands issued a warning on Monday urging park visitors not to handle distressed grey‑headed flying foxes, citing a statewide starvation event that is affecting tens of thousands of the vulnerable bats.
What happened
More than 40,000 bats have been recorded around Lachlan Swamp in Centennial Parklands, making it one of the city’s largest colonies. Parramatta Park is estimated to host between 5,000 and 10,000 bats, while about 50,000 bats colonised an area along Narellan Creek in Harrington Park in June, according to the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
What the reports add
The agency’s environmental and sustainability officer Amara Glynn said the warning comes as a drier‑than‑usual winter and poor seasonal flowering have left the bats hungry, leading to unusual behaviours such as eating off the ground and drinking water from grass after rain. WIRES warned earlier in October that the starvation event was driving increased reports of malnourishment and low‑level roosting in fruit trees.
What was said
"We want to remind park goers that if they see a distressed bat they should never handle it because they can scratch and bite," Glynn told SMH. She added that trained carers from Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) or Sydney Wildlife Rescue should be contacted instead.
How it came about
Grey‑headed flying foxes, listed as a vulnerable species, typically feed on blossoms and nectar. The current food shortage is linked to a drier winter and reduced eucalypt flowering, which has forced bats to seek food on the ground and in fruit trees, increasing rescue and death rates. Researchers earlier this year estimated the species contributes close to $1 billion to Australia’s timber industry by dispersing seeds and pollinating flowers.
Key facts
- Greater Sydney Parklands warned the public not to handle distressed grey‑headed flying foxes (smh.com.au)
- Over 40,000 bats have been spotted around Lachlan Swamp in Centennial Parklands (smh.com.au)
- A drier winter and poor flowering are blamed for the bats' starvation (smh.com.au)
- WIRES reported increased ground‑feeding and low‑tree roosting among the bats (smh.com.au)
- Grey‑headed flying foxes are listed as a vulnerable species (smh.com.au)
Sources
- [1] smh.com.au — originally reported as “Greater Sydney Parklands warn people not to handle distressed bats amid NSW starvation event impacting vulnerable grey-headed flying foxes”
