EYE OPENER
EYE OPENER
Hang in
there
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
Late in 2019, as the decade
drew to a close, Australia
experienced its hottest
and driest summer in
recorded history. This
colony of grey-headed
flying-foxes, or fruit bats,
huddled together in an
attempt to survive the
relentless 42ºC heat. They
were dehydrated and
suffocating.
Firefighters in Yarra
Bend Park sprayed water
onto the colonies in an
attempt to cool them
down. It’s natural instinct
for the bats to clump
around trees, but by doing
so, the danger to this
vulnerable species
increases. If one falls, the
rest fall. And they further
risk death from crushing.
It’s not all bad news,
though. Scientists at
Western Sydney
University have developed
an early warning system,
called The Flying-Fox Heat
Stress Forecaster. By
monitoring weather
patterns, it’s hoped
authorities will have about
72 hours notice to allow
life-saving measures to be
put into place before a
mass die-off event occurs.
DOUGGIMESY/NATUREPL.COM
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