Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia's black summer

"Wildlife volunteers did what they could to help, she said, rescuing dozens of pups found clinging to dead mothers. These orphans will slowly die of heat stress, starvation or predation if they aren't found. We also found countless adults who couldn't withstand the heat in areas of the colonies that were hotter - like trees with less foliage and shade coverage, and the baking hot clay of the riverbank. Despite the best efforts of dedicated volunteers, thousands died in the heat."

"Thousands of flying foxes have perished in the heatwave that scorched south-east Australia last week, the largest mass mortality event for flying foxes since black summer. Extreme temperatures resulted in deaths in camps across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Grey-headed flying foxes, listed as vulnerable under federal environment laws, were the most affected. The director of the Fly by Night Bat Clinic in Melbourne, Tamsyn Hogarth, said volunteers witnessed thousands of dead bats at Brimbank park,"

Thousands of flying foxes perished across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales during a recent heatwave, with grey-headed flying foxes most affected. Wildlife volunteers rescued dozens of orphaned pups found clinging to dead mothers, but many orphans face heat stress, starvation or predation if not found. Observers reported thousands of dead bats at Brimbank park and hundreds at Yarra Bend and Tatura. Researchers estimate at least 1,000–2,000 deaths in South Australia, thousands in Victoria, and up to 1,000 in New South Wales. Temperatures over 42°C are known to cause mass mortality in flying foxes, matching the largest event since 2019–20.

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