What happens in Cairns Australia to the flying foxes and why?

Cairns is home to a large number of flying-foxes. Most of these are Spectacled Flying-foxes (SFFs) but at certain times of the year, small numbers of Little Red Flying-foxes can also be found. There are 44 known roost sites (or camps) across the Cairns local government area, of which six are listed as Nationally Important Camps. SFF roosts are mainly seasonal with numbers and composition of the camps changing constantly. The Cairns City Library camp is the only camp that is occupied throughout the year.

In April 2015, Council sought advice from leading experts including scientists from the CSIRO and the Melbourne and Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens, to assist in formulating an holistic and long-term approach to flying-fox management. This meeting clearly indicated that eliminating flying-foxes from Cairns was neither feasible nor desirable and that strategies that minimised impacts and prevented increases in conflict needed to be identified.

Based on this expert advice, Council has adopted a multi-faceted strategy to managing flying-foxes in urban areas, particularly in the Cairns city centre. It aims to balance protection of SFFs and the amenity of residents through:

management approach – using scientific advice and data on flying-fox population numbers and movements to determine what actions (if any) will occur;

action - responding to immediate concerns and acting to minimise conflict;

community education and awareness to debunk myths about SFFs and provide residents with scientific facts about SFF populations, behaviours and diseases; and

collaboration with State and Federal Governments on all matters relating to management of Spectacled Flying-foxes, including compliance, conservation and recovery planning.

Explanation: