SYDNEY – Hundreds of flying foxes have dropped from trees amid boiling temperatures in Australia, according to wildlife groups which posted images of the dead mammals online. One group said the death toll could end up in the thousands.
The deaths of the fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, occurred in Campbelltown, New South Wales (NSW), where temperatures exceeded 44°C (111°F) on Sunday.
“Heat stress sadly claimed the lives of many hundreds of young flying-foxes at Campbelltown yesterday afternoon & the camp at Parramatta Park was also impacted,” the NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) wrote on Facebook early Monday. “Hundreds of mainly young flying-foxes were lost to the heat yesterday & the final count could run to thousands.”
The flying fox, Australia’s largest bat, is listed as a “vulnerable” species nationally with its survival ranked as a “critical priority” under local laws.
Sydney recorded its hottest day since 1939 on Sunday when the suburb of Penrith reached 47.3 Celsius.
New South Wales Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) said the loss of bats to the brutal conditions could run into the thousands.
Rescuers were able to save the lives of more than a hundred of the animals, but many scattered across the ground perished and others died still clinging to trees.
“In extremely trying conditions volunteers worked tirelessly to provide subcutaneous fluids to the pups that could be reached and many lives were saved but sadly many were lost too,” WIRES said on Facebook.
