THE Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES) has defended the burgeoning bat population in Batemans Bay and says claims the town is the 'bat capital of the coast' is inaccurate
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WIRES spokesman Justin McKee moved to this week reinforce that bats, or flying foxes, are a protected species in Australia.
He said by nature they avoided human contact, posed very little threat to our lifestyle and without them our forests would not exist.
“While WIRES appreciate Cr (Milton) Leslight’s passion for the issue, his statement that Batemans Bay is the 'Bat capital of the coast' is inaccurate and we strongly advise against perpetuating fear in the community that bats simply existing pose a threat to everyone’s health," he said.
“The only risk to humans that we know of comes when someone is bitten or scratched. These cases are extremely rare.
"Bats by nature are shy and are unlikely to approach people."
He said bats were rarely permanent features of any community.
“For most of the year, we hear very little about bats unless they upset someone in a residential area while feeding at night," he said.
"They are present, when local trees are fruiting and flowers are blossoming.
"When the food source disappears, they move on."
He said bats were a keystone species in Australia, flying long distances each night to disperse seeds that keep rainforests, forest and bushland diverse and thriving.
"Flying foxes are also the main noctural pollinator of our eucalyptus forests helping the survival of the trees that feed iconic animals like the koala," Mr McKee said.
“Most councils in NSW promote learning to co-exist alongside bats for a good reason. Attempts to move them along often prove to create larger problems than the initial ‘perceived’ ones."
Ms McKee said one of the highest concentrations of bats in NSW was in Sydney where more than three million people harmoniously coexisted with bats year in, year out.
"During breeding season each year, trained carers will handle hundreds of bat pups that become orphaned, or sick," he said.
"Bats are the only species that bond with their human carer and this bonding is critical for the first 10 weeks of their life. After this, they go onto develop social skills and mix with others their own age."
While it’s not possible to get Australian Bat lyssavirus from simply touching bat droppings, like handing any faecal matter, its advisable to wear gloves if you are cleaning up and avoid all contact with your eyes and mouth until you've washed your hands thoroughly afterwards.
WIRES advises that where possible, people should avoid parking cars under trees that animals feed from. While bat droppings wash off easily and are not very acidic, the droppings of the many other animals that eat fruit and flowers may not be so kind to cars.
Ms McKee said it was against the law and unsafe for an untrained person to handle the animals.
While it is also illegal for residents to make attempts to shift bats along, those that find them a bother can take some practical steps toward deterring the bats from eating from their gardens:
> When possible, cut off the fruit on trees or palms before it has time to ripen.
> Cover your trees with wildlife friendly netting. This type of netting can be purchased at major stores like Bunnings. If you can stick your little finger through the holes though, it’s not the wildlife friendly netting.
"The most important thing to remember about bats is to not handle them," Mr McKee said.
"If you come across a bat that needs help, phone WIRES on 1300 094 737."
To donate to WIRES to help it continue to provide its rescue service free to the community go to www.wires.org.au