We have had many residents contact us this week regarding bats in the eastern side of the city, so we thought now was a good time to share some information about what these animals are doing, and the vitally important role they play in pollination.
In Adelaide, there is only one colony of flying foxes, also known as fruit bats. They roost in Botanic Park during the day, then travel up to 50km at night looking for food, before returning to Botanic Park at dawn.
Flying foxes are vitally important because hardwood eucalypts only blossom at night when bees and other pollinators are asleep. Flying foxes feed at night, so are responsible for pollination of 70% of all hardwood eucalypts in Australia, making them vital to the survival of native animals such as koalas and birds who call these trees home.
Flying foxes are a threatened species and protected by law because across Australia their numbers have rapidly declined in a short period of time. For this reason, it is illegal to harm or disturb these bats.
Regarding disease, less that 1% carry a disease called Australian Bat Lyssavirus. A person would have to be directly bitten to catch it and it is not transmissible by faeces. If you get bitten, there is a 100% effective vaccine available.
If you find an injured or dead flying fox, do not touch it, contact a wildlife rescue organisation such as Fauna Rescue Fauna Rescue SA 24 hour hotline on 8486 1139 or Bat Rescue SA to help.