‘As far
as we know, [the spectacled flying fox] has never suffered heat deaths before,’
ecologist says
Thu 29
Nov 2018 17.00 GMTLast modified on Thu 29 Nov
2018 17.02 GMT
Thousands
of threatened flying foxes have dropped dead due to heat stress brought on by extreme
temperatures in far north Queensland this
week.
Conservationists
and wildlife volunteers estimate more than 4,000 have perished this week during
the record heatwave, which has seen temperatures in Cairns reach all-time highs
of 42.6C.
The
species of flying fox affected is the spectacled flying fox, an endemic
Queensland species found in north Queensland.
It’s
currently listed as vulnerable under national environment laws but conservationists
have been pushing to have the species up-listed to endangered because of
declines in the population.
Volunteer
carers that have been counting dead animals and taking orphaned young into care
say it is the first time the species has suffered mass deaths because of
extreme heat.
“It’s never had a heat stress event before
because it’s in the tropics,” said Maree Treadwell Kerr, a wildlife carer and
president of the Bats and Tree Society of Cairns.
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