Bat carers accuse Cairns council of breaching permit
TWO baby flying foxes were being treated at a Kuranda care facility yesterday, with wildlife carers alleging both were placed into care on Monday night as a direct result of council’s pruning of their home trees.
BAT PROTESTERS LET FLY IN CBD
As Cairns Regional Council continues work to cut back flying fox-inhabited trees surrounding City Library, Far North Queensland Wildlife Rescue registered carer Hannah Marco said one baby flying fox dropped to the ground shortly after council work began at 6pm on Monday, despite conditions for work stating they must not start pruning until 7pm.
BAT EXPERT WARNS OF DISPERSAL RISKS
“This means they’ve already breached their permit,” she said.
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning yesterday said he understood one bat had fallen to the ground earlier in the afternoon as the result of an attack from an osprey.
But Ms Marco said footage of the first bat falling after council work had started had been captured by a fellow protester and was being sent to relevant departments and authorities.
She said she believed the second baby bat fell shortly after 9pm, and that both bats had since been cared for at the Kuranda BatReach rescue and rehabilitation centre.
She also said her organisation was expecting an increase in the number of flying foxes coming into their care in the coming week as a result of the council dispersal project.
“If they do successfully frighten the flying foxes away and they all fly, the babies who can’t fly will eventually starve, fall down, and have to come into care,” she said.
“Hopefully being late in the baby season we won’t get too many, but there is a chance we will definitely get a few out of this.”
She said she believed Cairns had enough registered carers to take in the number of flying foxes expected to need care during and after the operation – but only “in theory”.
“We will be seeing a number of flying foxes come down,” she said.
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning yesterday said he understood one bat had fallen to the ground earlier in the afternoon as the result of an attack from an osprey.
But Ms Marco said footage of the first bat falling after council work had started had been captured by a fellow protester and was being sent to relevant departments and authorities.
She said she believed the second baby bat fell shortly after 9pm, and that both bats had since been cared for at the Kuranda BatReach rescue and rehabilitation centre.
She also said her organisation was expecting an increase in the number of flying foxes coming into their care in the coming week as a result of the council dispersal project.
“If they do successfully frighten the flying foxes away and they all fly, the babies who can’t fly will eventually starve, fall down, and have to come into care,” she said.
“Hopefully being late in the baby season we won’t get too many, but there is a chance we will definitely get a few out of this.”
She said she believed Cairns had enough registered carers to take in the number of flying foxes expected to need care during and after the operation – but only “in theory”.
“We will be seeing a number of flying foxes come down,” she said.
Published on Apr 28, 2014
The Cairns Regional Council acted in Breach of Federal Referral on 28th April 2014.
The referral states, they cannot act whilst dependent young are present.
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