Bats. I've got bats.

kakosi said :

I didn’t know they’d been here before – lived in Canberra all my life and never saw or heard about them until recent years. There’s another warning just issued to Canberra residents this month: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/environment/animals/warning-issued-over-handling-canberra-bats-20131218-2zkup.html

Here’s some results from the archives:

1951: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2844175?searchTerm=fruit%20bats%20canberra&searchLimits=l-title=11

1958: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/91257330?searchTerm=fruit%20bats%20canberra&searchLimits=l-title=11

1972: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/102209579?searchTerm=fruit%20bats%20canberra&searchLimits=l-title=11

1982: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/130839545?searchTerm=fruit%20bats%20canberra&searchLimits=l-title=11

A few of you seem to have issues with young people of Indian ancestry.

Unless, of course, you are referring to the Common, or Indian, Myna.

c_c™ said :

kakosi said :

These bats used to be limited to just a few by Lake Burley Griffin. They don’t move on in winter and now their population has exploded and they are spreading out to the suburbs. I recall last year people were being warned not to touch them (given a tame looking bat is probably a sick bat) and the finding that they can carry a “rabies like” virus.

They are not native to this area and have only been in Canberra for a few years. I often wonder how they got introduced to Canberra. Perhaps the same way as minor birds?

Anywhere within 200km of the east coast is considered grey-headed flying fox habitat these days, which includes Canberra. In recent years they’ve been expanding out further and there was a time when Canberra was considered too far inland for them. But they’ve certainly visited in the past as far back as the 50s when they went to town on the local orchards.

c_c™ said :

kakosi said :

These bats used to be limited to just a few by Lake Burley Griffin. They don’t move on in winter and now their population has exploded and they are spreading out to the suburbs. I recall last year people were being warned not to touch them (given a tame looking bat is probably a sick bat) and the finding that they can carry a “rabies like” virus.

They are not native to this area and have only been in Canberra for a few years. I often wonder how they got introduced to Canberra. Perhaps the same way as minor birds?

Anywhere within 200km of the east coast is considered grey-headed flying fox habitat these days, which includes Canberra. In recent years they’ve been expanding out further and there was a time when Canberra was considered too far inland for them. But they’ve certainly visited in the past as far back as the 50s when they went to town on the local orchards.

I didn’t know they’d been here before – lived in Canberra all my life and never saw or heard about them until recent years. There’s another warning just issued to Canberra residents this month: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/environment/animals/warning-issued-over-handling-canberra-bats-20131218-2zkup.html

kakosi said :

These bats used to be limited to just a few by Lake Burley Griffin. They don’t move on in winter and now their population has exploded and they are spreading out to the suburbs. I recall last year people were being warned not to touch them (given a tame looking bat is probably a sick bat) and the finding that they can carry a “rabies like” virus.

They are not native to this area and have only been in Canberra for a few years. I often wonder how they got introduced to Canberra. Perhaps the same way as minor birds?

Anywhere within 200km of the east coast is considered grey-headed flying fox habitat these days, which includes Canberra. In recent years they’ve been expanding out further and there was a time when Canberra was considered too far inland for them. But they’ve certainly visited in the past as far back as the 50s when they went to town on the local orchards.

These bats used to be limited to just a few by Lake Burley Griffin. They don’t move on in winter and now their population has exploded and they are spreading out to the suburbs. I recall last year people were being warned not to touch them (given a tame looking bat is probably a sick bat) and the finding that they can carry a “rabies like” virus.

They are not native to this area and have only been in Canberra for a few years. I often wonder how they got introduced to Canberra. Perhaps the same way as minor birds?

@Rusalka – thanks, yes. It was the lyssavirus and pile of guano aspects I was concerned about.
@Poetix – thanks, they are fascinating. But a colony next door was a bit different to occasionally seeing them about and enjoying them.
@Neanderthalsis – thanks for sharing your experience. That was the kind of reassurance I was seeking. I hate the Minors as well.
@Deref – thanks, not my photo. @Neanderthalsis post above refers re OP.
@Masquara – that’s not helpful. If I have a possum in my roof, I can get someone to remove it. If I have a snake in my backyard, I can get someone to remove it. If I have a spider infestation in my shed, I can just poison them because they are not charismatic megafauna. I was concerned about the health aspects of this situation, as others have noted and provided useful information. Try again.
@c_c – thanks, not planning to handle them. I was just asking about the issues related to proximity of large numbers of wild animals that are proven disease vectors and suburban human populations. Your reassurance is welcome.
@HolGei – not worried about noise etc, just hygiene. We garage the car, so that aspect is not an issue.
@How_Canberran – I can’t even respond to your toolish comment … oh, wait…

neanderthalsis said :

We currently have fruitbats, the neighbours, kurrawongs, rosellas, Indian minors, a smallish finch and a few other birds raiding our loquat tree. The only ones that get my goat are the Indian Minors.

tch, those pesky kids from the sub-continent, always after your caprinae stock…

The bat in the Sydney Botanical garden were moved on by playing industrial noise when they were about to roost, so they moved elsewhere. I suggest you take a recording of the Woden Plaza noise as it sounds like a factory and play it when they are roosting. They will move on to somewhere else.

That being said, it is not beneficial to the environment to nuke them. Better nuke people instead as they are the great polluters of the world. Bats play an important part in cross pollination and fertilisation.

Nuke the entire colony from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.

How Canberran.

HolGei said :

I know exactly where you are talking about, they are noisy and s*** all over my house and car!

So then they have more in common with the average Mooseheads’ patron than some may first have thought.

I know exactly where you are talking about, they are noisy and s*** all over my house and car! They are driving me insane with the noise and mess. However, they are facinating to watch!

Wonderful critters, you see (and hear) a colony in Commonwealth Park at various times of the year opposite Stage 88. So long as you don’t try handling them, and stay out of the drop zone, you’re fine.

Hopefully TAMS will leave them well alone. They are wild animals and absolutely entitled to hang out wherever they wish.

Rusalka said :

Pitchka said :

Chances are the one in your yard was one of the diseased ones… Sucks to be you..

From the size I think (and from describing it to the ranger) sounded like it was likely old age.

However, if it was, doesn’t matter to me. Just the way of things, and one of the quirks of living in a city like ours. To me the benefits far outweigh one dead bat.

I love a good bat… (i love the flying types too)

Pitchka said :

Chances are the one in your yard was one of the diseased ones… Sucks to be you..

From the size I think (and from describing it to the ranger) sounded like it was likely old age.

However, if it was, doesn’t matter to me. Just the way of things, and one of the quirks of living in a city like ours. To me the benefits far outweigh one dead bat.

Rusalka said :

The ranger was very helpful, but said that they weren’t concerned about bats, there were heaps of them around at the moment and the colonies in Canberra are pretty disease free. It’s now buried in the garden.

Chances are the one in your yard was one of the diseased ones… Sucks to be you..

Great photo of beautiful animals. What possible reason could you have for wanting to get rid of them?

All Australian bats are protected. I take it you are concerned about the potential diseases rather than just the noise? Unless you are eating contaminated fruit, eating the bats raw, or working with other animals that have been infected you need not worry. I spent many years with bats attacking mangoes outside my bedroom window and somehow managed to survive.

We currently have fruitbats, the neighbours, kurrawongs, rosellas, Indian minors, a smallish finch and a few other birds raiding our loquat tree. The only ones that get my goat are the Indian Minors.

I think you are very lucky! They are fascinating creatures.

I had a large, dead flying fox in my garden last weekend. I gave TAMS a quick call just to check there weren’t any diseases or problems they were trying to control. The ranger was very helpful, but said that they weren’t concerned about bats, there were heaps of them around at the moment and the colonies in Canberra are pretty disease free. It’s now buried in the garden.

So I suggest not worrying about them and enjoying them while they are so obviously around your place. They are amazing animals to look at and watch.

Why would TAMS do anything necessarily? A colony of bats is not automatically a problem which has to be dealt with. How big is the colony? Is it overwhelming the tree? Also, teh nets suggests that if your bats are gray headed fruit bats, they tend not to be permenant residents of Canberra and will move on eventually.