By Thea Williams May 30th, 2019.

The spectacled flying-fox highlights the challenge in managing the conflict between human development and nature. Flying foxes primarily migrate along the East coast of Australia — moving in large groups (called camps or colonies) as native food comes into season. There is thought to be around 780,000 grey-headed flying foxes in more than 100 camps dotted across the country. Do they do more good than harm? ‒Christmas Island flying-fox (Critically Endangered) ‒Spectacled flying-fox (Vulnerable) ‒Grey-headed flying-fox (Vulnerable) • Two other mainland species are not MNES and EPBC Act does not apply to these species. They have done this for thousands of years — but over time, these colonies are being surrounded by human development, with locals complaining of the noise and smell, and netting their trees to prevent flying foxes from eating the fruit. Going in to bat for Australia’s endangered flying-foxes; Going in to bat for Australia’s endangered flying-foxes. Cairns Regional Council has just received a permit to ‘disperse’ (forcibly evict) all the Critically Endangered Spectacled Flying Foxes from the Cairns City Library nationally significant camp. But why are bats a threatened species in Australia? Stop the Permanent Forced Eviction (‘dispersal’) of the Spectacled Flying Fox camp at Cairns City Library! EPBC Act • Protectand manage the listed flying-foxes: ‒Decision to have a Recovery Plan within 90 days. The Grey-Headed Flying Fox is prolific within 150 km of the sea, on the eastern coast of Australia – all the way from the Hervey Bay region in Queensland, to Melbourne in Victoria. The spectacled flying-fox has shown a decline from a population of 214,750 in November of 2005 to 92,880 in November of 2014.

But there are other victims: Australia’s endangered flying foxes. They can be found in various habitats such as coastal rainforests, woodlands, wetlands, and swamps; and, tend to migrate to where their food supply is more abundant, but always returning to their ‘home’ camps. Spectacled Flying Foxes, listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) since February 2019, are a keystone species that move rainforest and other tree seeds from one isolated patch of rainforest to another. Another Australian mammal has been listed as endangered.