Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer

Volunteers found thousands of dead bats at Melbourne’s Brimbank park, wildlife expert says

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Thousands of flying foxes have perished in the heatwave that scorched south-east Australia last week, the largest mass mortality event for flying foxes since black summer.

Extreme temperatures resulted in deaths in camps across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Grey-headed flying foxes, listed as vulnerable under federal environment laws, were the most affected.

The director of the Fly by Night Bat Clinic in Melbourne, Tamsyn Hogarth, said volunteers witnessed thousands of dead bats at Brimbank park, and hundreds more at camps in Yarra Bend and Tatura.