12th Mar 2018
IMAGINE living in distress every day, fearing contamination and health risks and listening to a constant "screeching and flapping."
That's what Duaringa resident Warren Wright says it is like for him each minute of the day.
Bats have inundated his hometown 100km west of Rockhampton since December last year.
Exhausted, injured, dead: Alleged CQ bat abuse investigated
"The number of bats have just become phenomenal, the sky from either side is just full of them," he said.
"They have settled in Mackenzie Park where our endemic tree, the Duaringa Budgeroo, grows and the sheer weight of the bats in causing large limbs to simply tear away.
"The fact remains that such huge colonies of bats are gigantic reservoirs of Lyssa virus and Hendra virus. Salmonella is also present in their faeces which rains from the sky onto the roof tops of Duaringa residences from where many citizens collect their drinking water.
"One of the bats even defecated on my elderly frail mother when she was hanging the washing."
When The Morning Bulletin spoke with Central Highlands Regional Council about the issue they said they are taking it "very seriously."
"We have developed a Flying Fox Management Plan and developed a suite of factsheets on a number of topical matters," a spokesperson said.
"We acknowledge all customer enquiries and our team of Rangers regularly undertake counts to track the number of flying foxes in known areas across the region i.e. Duaringa and the Emerald Botanical Gardens.
"Council undertakes management of flying-fox roosts on CHRC owned or managed land.
"Council assesses roosts of concern and use a scale approach to management of these roost areas."
Council advised the last count of flying foxes at Duaringa was conducted on February 27 and showed an increase in numbers from 3,500 to 4,000 to be closer to 5,000.
"The Ranger Services team continue to address customer concerns in relation to flying foxes in Duaringa and will progress to dispersal activities once the weather permits us to do so, as we have to comply with the DEHP in relation to permitted dispersal activities," they said.
"The community can undertake low impact activities meaning mulching, mowing or weeding under or near roost trees, and/or minor trimming of roost trees, where the activities are not directed at destroying a flying fox roost, driving away, or attempting to drive away, a flying fox from a flying fox roost or disturbing a flying fox in a flying fox roost."
Despite his numerous attempts at contact with council, Warren feels "no one cares."
"We are just flabbergasted and frustrated and offended that no one wants to do anything about it, especially considering there is such high health risks," he said.
"We want council to come down to the community and get our feedback and understand the dynamics what is happening. They should be lobbying the State Government."
This was done in 2012
"I will do everything I can in my power to stop it,” the outspoken Emu Park local said of the alleged animal cruelty against a nesting colony in Duaringa.
"Even if it means me doing something illegal, even if it means getting arrested.”
About 43,000 of the protected little red species are roosting on private property in the township, about 100km west of Rockhampton.
But the Central Highlands Regional Council (CHRC) believe less drastic measures can be taken to ensure they are gone from Duaringa just after Easter.
The Queensland Government and Central Highlands Regional Council (CHRC) are investigating human intervention to illegally disperse flying foxes, causing exhaustion and in some cases death.
A dispersal of the local colony this week was cancelled as the flying foxes were too week to fly and find alternative roosting places.
CHRC Communities general manager Daniel Fletcher said an assessment on Thursday found are only about 80 black flying foxes on council land, but 43,000 little red flying foxes on private property.
He explained under council's flying fox management plan, the CHRC do not conduct dispersal activities on private land.
Duaringa property owners will each have to apply for a flying fox roost management permit with the Department of Environment and Science.
The application is free and ensures the activities on private land are approved by the department.
Everyone who wants their bats moved on from their property on April 3 must lodge their paperwork by Tuesday, March 27.
"To make this as easy as we can, a ranger will visit every affected property to help people fill out the form and we've also made the form available here,” Mr Fletcher explained.
Rangers will be in Duaringa on Friday, March 24 and again on Tuesday, March 27.
"If people go off and do their own thing to remove the bats, there's a high chance that the planned dispersal will be unsuccessful,” Mr Fletcher said.
Ms Laskus said Rockhampton volunteer Michelle Kratz last year rescued 400 bats from people's backyards, all from her own pocket.
At the moment, 15 from Duaringa are injured and in her care.
Ms Laskus claims she has been rallying to protect the roost since 2012, and in that time has cared for flying foxes found with bullet holes.
Central Highlands mayor Kerry Hayes said he was "extremely disappointed that the thoughtless actions of a few may have now caused extended distress for the animals and the community".
Cr Hayes last week said he had learned of the alleged interference of the flying fox colony using methods "outside the Queensland Government's code of practice" which caused "immense distress to the flying foxes".
CQ man fears for health as thousands of bats inundate town
"Our rangers, accompanied by a wildlife carer, visited Duaringa (Friday) to assess the situation and were, quite frankly, appalled at the condition these animals have been reduced to with many exhausted, injured and dead," he said.
While Cr Hayes did not specify what had happened to the flying fox colony, he said "very serious allegations of animal welfare breaches" would be fully investigated by council and the State Government.
"I want to be quite clear that I do not dispute that large colonies of flying foxes in an urban area are terribly annoying and a huge concern for people, but that does not mean anyone can just take it into their own hands to get rid of them."
On March 12, The Morning Bulletin reported thousands of bats had inundated the town, about 100km west of Rockhampton, since December last year.
Cr Hayes said flying foxes are vulnerable, protected Australian wildlife; closely regulated by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP).
"It is simply against the law to interfere with them," he said.
"The actions in Duaringa are unhelpful, cruel and make the task for our properly trained rangers even more difficult.
"When the animals are in this condition council is not allowed under the code of practice to conduct dispersal activities because the flying foxes are too weak to fly and leave the roost to find alternative roosting places.
"The advice I have received is the colony must be left alone for a week to recover and the dispersal activity will then be reassessed."
Cr Hayes has warned anyone found to be in "breach of the legislation protecting these animals may face penalties".
sm done facebook /batsrule and /bat issues
ReplyDeletesm done g+ twitter tumblr only bat pics
28032018