Flying fox fix not simple

The Emerald Botanic Gardens rainforest is once again busy with flying fox activity and they’re here to stay—at least for a while, says council.

Central Highlands’ Mayor Kerry Hayes said a current head count of flying foxes in the gardens is estimated at 4000.

‘That number might seem high, but I’m told that the colony reached 40,000 prior to the last dispersal from the same place, although that will probably not be the case this time,’ he explained.

‘Flying foxes are a perennial urban issue throughout Queensland and opinion is divided, emotional and sometimes hostile about how to deal with them.

‘Council has a flying fox management plan and we are guided, and strictly regulated, by the state government as to any course of dispersal action we can take.

‘Dispersal is only done by council if the animals are on public land and it has the inherent risk that, if we move them from the gardens, they’ll end up on private land somewhere nearby. Also, I understand that by us interfering with their normal life cycle we actually induce them to stay in an area longer than they might if left alone.

‘At this stage we are conducting weekly counts in the gardens to keep an eye on the numbers and condition of the animals. We feed this data directly to the Department of Environment and Science so they are aware of the situation in the region and can provide advice when requested, however we don’t receive any funding to undertake dispersals,’ he said.

‘What I want to say on behalf of my council colleagues is that we are acutely aware that flying foxes are a nuisance to anyone that resides near a colony—of that there is no argument. We receive the complaints; we hear what you are saying; we are doing what we can—for the animals and the people.

‘There’s nothing simple about urban flying fox management. It’s the subject of much discussion around every local government meeting table in the state and, apart from creating alternative habitats, which will take years to establish, we deal with each season based on breeding cycles, weather and numbers.’