Bat - Out of Hell !

Some people think they are cute !   Others of a more superstitious mind associate them with witches, along with black cats and broomsticks.   They are something that is rarely seen but every night in summer the skies over Sydney are alive with Bats on their journey from their roosting places in trees to feast on fruit - wherever that can be found.

We even have laws to protect them and many a development project has been shelved because it might interfere with Bats who have residence nearby.  Unfortunately, they have disgusting personal hygiene habits and anyone living near a Bat colony is well aware of the smell from their droppings and the dangers that they pose.

Their depredations cost fruit growers big money and even private citizens with a few fruit trees in their gardens know that the harvest will be lost unless they go to the trouble of putting nets in place to ward off Bats.  They are nomadic animals, and have a tendency to change roosting places with little notice, usually because food has become scarce in proximity to where they previously lived.

Unfortunately, the common fruit Bat is also known to be a carrier for Lyssavris, which is a disease very similar to Rabies.  Recently a WIRES animal handler encountered a Bat exhibiting very aggressive tendencies and this was found to be affected by Lyssavris and was put down, but there is every chance that this disease may spread through Bat colonies - and summer is the Bat breeding season.

Essentially Lyssavris is a disease with similar characteristics to Rabies - and it is fatal to humans.  So far this year 383 New South Wales residents have been treated for Lyssavris exposure and in every case the common source of the infection was by way of exposure to Bats.  It is quite possible that the climatic change associated with global warming may hasten the incidence of Lyssavris spreading through the Bat population.

It is worrying that we are seeing this form of aggression present in infected Bats.  It is a clear warning to avoid these animals and in particular children should be taught to not approach a Bat caughtup in any form of netting or which may have managed to snag itself on wire netting.  Handling any Bat should be left to the experts in WIRES who have the training and equipment to safely deliver aid to an injured Bat.

It also raises the issue of the existing Bat colonies scattered through Sydney and in other parts of this state.  From time to time new exotic diseases manage to make their way to our shores.  The Hendra virus with it's link to horses has caused the death of a growing number of people and this is tending to cripple riding schools and other horse interests.   It raises the question of what action the state should take when a new form of harm gains the potential to go on a killing spree amongst our citizens.

We are careful to screen the import of dogs from those parts of the world inflicted with Rabies - and Australia is thankfully Rabies free.    It seems likely that Lyssavris is close to tipping point and either a weather change or pure genetics may see it spread widely through the Bat population.

It would seem prudent to reevaluate both our attitude and the prevailing laws pertaining to Bats with this danger in mind !