An extreme heat day in late January threatened grey-headed flying foxes in Brimbank Park, but a stronger response resulted in fewer deaths than during a previous extreme heat event earlier this year, a wildlife rescue director said.
Wildlife rescue organisation Fly By Night director Tamsyn Hogarth estimated about 100 bats in Brimbank Park died on Tuesday 27 January, when temperatures soared to 45 degrees in parts of Melbourne’s west.
“We still had deaths but it wasn’t to the extreme of the previous [incident],” Ms Hogarth said.
“We don’t want to see any die but in those kinds of temperatures it’s inevitable.”
She also commended the efforts of 30 volunteers who helped throughout the day.
As reported by Star Weekly, about 800 grey-headed flying foxes died in Brimbank Park during another extreme heat event on Wednesday 7 January, prompting criticism of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) for its lack of a coordinated, statewide emergency response.
At the time, DEECA said its approach to managing flying-fox heat stress focused on human safety as the highest priority.
Ms Hogarth said DEECA’s response on 27 January was better, and that the department provided a large water container and contractor to come out to refill tanks throughout the day.
She said she would like such measures to become a permanent fixture ahead of future extreme heat days.
