08/10/2026
OUR FLYING FOXES ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF HELP.
Sydney Darts has alerted us to the dire situation that Flying Foxes are in at the moment and their plight is being featured on the news. Below are some urgent notes from the Bats - Bomaderry and Beyond page. Please help if you can.
All along the East Coast, Grey-headed Flying-foxes are dying in unprecedented numbers from Coffs Harbour down to East Gippsland in Victoria and out to Canberra.
Necropsies have indicated emaciation and starvation.
And this matters.
Grey-headed Flying-foxes can travel in excess of 50 km in a night. As they move through the landscape, they pollinate flowers and spread seeds. They are some of Australia’s most important forest regenerators.
Without them, our forests suffer.
And when our forests suffer, so do the countless animals that depend on them, including koalas, possums, birds and insects.
Before European settlement, Grey-headed Flying-foxes numbered in the millions and migrated along the temperate east coast, following food and pollinating and spreading seeds as they travelled.
They evolved alongside Australia's forests. Some of our trees, particularly hardwood and rainforest species, flower at night when flying-foxes are out feeding and if you look closely these blossoms are light in colour to be more visible of a night.
There may still appear to be plenty of flying-foxes around, but that is misleading.
Their habitat has been drastically reduced and changed. They have been pushed closer to our towns and cities because they are trying to find food and survive. We humans choose to live in their habitat.
They are already recognised as a threatened species, listed as Vulnerable to Extinction and now they are starving.
Extreme heat can kill thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, in a single event. Now we are seeing the consequences of food shortages. Pregnant females are dying.
Premature and young pups are being found on the ground.
Adults are coming into backyards and feeding during daylight hours because they are desperate for food, many being found in Mulberry trees. And behind every one of those calls is a wildlife carer. These volunteers know how important these animals are. They also know how intelligent, social and incredibly individual flying-foxes are. They care deeply. And they are exhausted.
Physically.Emotionally. Mentally.
They are responding to call after call, often several times a day and night. They are driving long distances to rescue animals, while at the same time trying to care for those that make it into care, with many also working full time.
And heartbreakingly, some of those animals still don't survive.
Wildlife hotlines are being overwhelmed. Phone volunteers are trying to answer multiple calls, record information and coordinate rescuers who are often already out on the road.
This is happening right now.
And while wildlife volunteers are doing everything they possibly can, the resources simply aren't enough.
Wildlife organisations need:
• Humidicribs
• Medical supplies
• Formula and food
• Equipment
• Veterinary care
• Funding
• More trained volunteers
• And emotional support for the
people doing this work
Vets generously discount their services for wildlife groups, but they still have bills to pay.
And despite government funding for the wildlife sector being promised more than a year ago, that funding has still not reached the organisations desperately trying to respond to this crisis.
Something has to change.
Because we are not only losing flying-foxes.
We are losing experienced, compassionate and dedicated wildlife volunteers who simply cannot keep going like this.
If you see a flying-fox on the ground, low in a tree, in a backyard during the day or behaving unusually, please don't touch it.
Contact your local wildlife rescue organisation and get help from trained rescuers.
Download the ifaw wildlife rescue app so you know who to call wherever you are! ifaw
And please share this post.
The more people understand what is happening, the more chance these animals have of getting the help they need.
Flying-foxes matter. Our forests need them. And right now, they need us.
Donations can be made to
Wildcare Australia Inc.
New South Wales Wildlife Council
Our local wildlife organisations are Sydney Wildlife Mobile Care Unit and WIRES
