As parts of Australia swelter in a record-breaking heatwave, bats are dying on a 'biblical scale'. Temperatures above 48°C have been recorded in some areas, and thousands of flying foxes have dropped dead from trees in Adelaide, South Australia.
In November, more than 23,000 spectacled flying foxes died in just two days in Cairns, representing a third of Australia's population of that species. Residents were forced to move out due to the smell of rotting carcasses. Dr Justin Welbergen said, 'This sort of event has not happened in Australia this far north since human settlement,' adding that climate change projections indicate such events will escalate.
In New South Wales, a 'bat danger alert' has been issued for the Hunter region after seven people were bitten over two weeks, including two by bats infected with Australian bat lyssavirus, an incurable virus similar to rabies. Public health physician David Durrheim expressed concern for unvaccinated members of the public who were bitten.
Wildlife carer Rebecca Koller reported rescuing nearly 850 bats during the November heatwave, and caring for about 200 at her home. The highest temperature recorded recently was 49°C in Tarcoola, South Australia, close to the national record of 50.7°C set in 1960.
