By Lachlan Ellis<\/p>\n
You might have seen bats flying overhead at night if you live in Bacchus Marsh, and a local bat expert has explained where they\u2019re coming from.<\/p>\n
Meaghan Scott is a local wildlife rescuer and carer, and said the grey-headed flying foxes spotted throughout March had come south for the warm weather, and would likely remain here for the next few weeks, before heading back north.<\/p>\n
\u201cGenerally around about October or November, they\u2019ll generally migrate from New South Wales and Queensland where it\u2019s warmer, down to Victoria. I\u2019m not entirely sure why they\u2019ve chosen that Bacchus Marsh\/Darley area, but there are a few colonies around the state in Geelong, Werribee, Kew, Darley and Bendigo,\u201d Ms Scott told the Moorabool News.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the next few months they tend to migrate back to the warmer climates as it gets cool here. The majority of the colonies will move north to New South Wales and Queensland, and then the cycle happens again.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Bacchus Marsh\u2019s orchards might be considered a target for the bats, Ms Scott believes the more likely food source locally is pollen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re able to fly out in a sort of 60 to 100 kilometre radius, so I\u2019m guessing there\u2019s a good enough food source with eucalypts and stuff around, which they pollinate. Without them we wouldn\u2019t really have the trees, and other species like koalas reliant on forests. So, they\u2019re pretty important for our ecosystem,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy understanding is their preferred source of food is pollen, so our native vegetation. I haven\u2019t had any rescues this year for the Bacchus Marsh area in terms of netting, though they do have to sometimes rely on people\u2019s backyard fruit trees where there\u2019s unfortunately some illegal netting they get entangled in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe weather\u2019s been a bit crazy, so we\u2019re seeing later season pups. I visited a different colony near Bairnsdale and there\u2019s been some late pups coming into care\u2026so I think climate change is really having an effect on the bats. But I imagine they [the bats in Bacchus Marsh] will move off in the next few weeks or months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Scott says powerlines and netting are two major threats to flying foxes.<\/p>\n
If you encounter a flying fox caught in netting or that needs a rescue, contact BADGAR on 1300 223 427, or Wildlife Victoria on 03 8400 7300.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lachlan Ellis You might have seen bats flying overhead at night if you live in Bacchus Marsh, and a local bat expert has explained where they\u2019re coming from. Meaghan Scott is a local wildlife rescuer and carer, and said the grey-headed flying foxes spotted throughout March had come south for the warm weather, and […]<\/p>\n