100,000 bats fall from the sky in Australian heat wave

by Ben Reilly Fri Jan 10, 2014 12:46 am

In a scene that could come straight out of Alfred Hitchcock's imagination, about 100,000 bats were found littering the ground after a major heatwave hit Australia this week, causing the bats to fall from the sky and die upon impact. In addition to the bats, the heatwave—which struck the north-east state of Queensland earlier this week and hit temperatures as high as 135 degrees fahrenheit—meant mass deaths for the country’s flying foxes across an estimated 25 colonies.

“Anything over 43 degrees [celsius/ 109F] and they just fall,” Louise Saunders, a conservation worker, told The Courier Mail in Australia. “We’re just picking up those that are just not coping and are humanely euthanizing what we can…it’s a horrible, cruel way to die.”

Hope our Aussies are OK!

http://www.alternet.org/environment/100000-bats-fall-sky-australia-due-extreme-heat-wave

by Guest Fri Jan 10, 2014 12:59 am

That's so horrible. Bats are amazing creature, what a terrible thing to happen to them.

by veya_victaous Fri Jan 10, 2014 2:23 am

Yeah Queensland is a bit hotter than NSW where me and Bee live.

keep in mind as staggering as those numbers sound Flying Fox Colonies can number 100,000 individuals. so split between 25 colonies we are probably seeing mainly Old and sick bats die due to the heat wave. It's bad but it is probably natural.

by Beekeeper Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:08 am

A few years ago I saw a lot of flying foxes flying over here about an hour or so before sunrise, but still with a bit of moonlight ~ probably heading from a nesting area a few miles south to feeding grounds (forested areas.) to the north of here...

They came over in waves ~ first off a large group that lasted for maybe 15 minutes or so, maybe well over a hundred thousand in that main body alone, then 10 minutes later there was a second smaller group of maybe 10,000 or less, and finally a few stragglers bringing up the rear..

Biggest single bat migration that I've ever witnessed personally. Some bird migrations, especially with wild budgerigars (when several colonies can join together..), can also seem nearly as big at times..

THE biggest problem with bats that we experience down around here is with habitat loss ~ where the State government and local councils allow property developers to increase housing estates into local bushland, WITHOUT first putting in place new refuges for such displaced wildlife.

And then the "new residents" ~ often city escapees with little experience of the outer suburbs, let alone the bush ~ start complaining when the odd bats and birds start infringing on their local parks or backyards, or the odd stray 'roo or emu attacks a local who gets too close... Surprised

by veya_victaous Sun Jan 12, 2014 11:04 pm

@bee
they are not uncommon in Sydney,
You used to see about 100,000 rise from the Botanic Gardens at dusk until they put in the loud speakers to scare them away, but they are still about, they decend on the Garden when things are in fruit.

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