Grey headed flying fox

Grey-Headed Flying Fox

Diet and Importance

Like most flying foxes the Grey-Headed Flying Fox mainly feed on pollen and nectar but will occasionally feed on fruits. Bees and birds are given most of the credit for pollination but bats can pollinate a much larger area then bees! They also will pollinate native trees and forests that only release their pollen at night.

Their Not Monsters

When I say the word "Bat" most people think of menacing screams in the dead of night, death curdling blood sucking vampires and disease ridden creatures. But it is actually quite the opposite! There is only one type of blood sucking bat, the vampire bat! In all of Austraila's history only 3 people have died from bat transmitted diseases! 25 people die a year from Horses! Most people think that all bats have diseases that are dangerous to humans but very few actually do. It is usually the really sick bats that have the diseases that cause problems to humans. The main thing is to not touch or pick up bats especially sick or injured bats. Call 1300 animal the they will find a origination that will come and rescue it.
The Grey Headed Flying Fox are extremely intelligent, much more then people give them credit for. They get their intelligence because it is believed they are related to lemurs and are a member of the primate family!

Threats

A injury from a barb wire fence.

The Grey Headed Flying Foxes are classed as Vulnerable. All Flying foxes have the same threats. Barb wire fencing, fruit netting, when flying foxes get tired they will go on power lines and that will electrocute them. Originally it was illegal to shoot bats but now it is legal to shoot bats in a lot of areas! But their main threat is habitat destruction. The Grey Headed Flying Fox is a very misunderstood animal. Because of this people are less likely to help them compared to other native animals like the Koala and bilby.

Conservation

ABC (Australian Bat Clinic), Bats QLD , WIRES, Batavia Flying Fox Sanctuary and many more great organisations rehabilitate sick and orphaned bats. These organisations often need volunteers to help. If you are able to help please contact them.

How You Can Help

Sign petition to say you don't want Flying Foxes to be culled.
Adopt a Flying Fox
Bats and hundreds of other species get caught in fruit and bird netting. Only use fruit netting that your fingers can't fit though which makes shore they can't get tangled up. Or if you don't want fruit netting but you don't want animals getting your fruit you can put bells on the branches and stems.
Donate to a organisation that are helping to save Bats. Such as Bats QLD, ABC, Batavia Flying Fox Sanctuary, WIRES, Wildlife Victoria, Sydney Wildlife.
The first rule about seeing an injured bat is not to touch it, other wise it will be euthanised ! Pick up the phone and call 1300 animal then it will find an organisation that will come to rescue the bat.

​