Flying, screeching, pooping visitors turn Aussie town batty
CANBERRA — An Australian coastal town is considering a plan to drive away large bats after up tens of thousands of the noisy mammals recently caused havoc there.
In this May 26, 2016 photo provided by Davida MaChing grey headed flying foxes hang from a tree near Batemans Bay, Australia. Batemans Bay is a picturesque coastal town that always leaves the welcome mat out for tourists. But tens of thousands of visitors of another kind has more than outstayed their welcome - large bats. Photo via AP
CANBERRA — An Australian coastal town is considering a plan to drive away large bats after up tens of thousands of the noisy mammals recently caused havoc there.
The gray headed flying foxes, Australia’s largest bats, have been roosting in the middle of the east coast town of Batemans Bay for a few years, but their numbers soared to up to 140,000 this spring.
Mayor Lindsay Brown said on Friday (June 10) the local council will consider next week a plan to use smoke, noise and lights to disperse the animals.
Sydney University bat researcher Kerryn Parry-Jones warns against trying to remove the colony. She says such efforts usually result in the bats splitting into two or more colonies in the same area, which could annoy even more people. AP
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