How to stop wing dieback with bat wing injuries

Abstract

Unfortunately most of Australia's flying-foxes are listed as vulnerable, largely due to habitat loss and colony destruction. Both of these lead to increased interaction with humans and, inevitably, result in injuries. Specific causes of injuries vary with the location and the time of year, however in Sydney alone, some typical per annum figures for the Grey-headed Flying-fox 'Pteropus poliocephalus' (GHFF) are: • power line 17% (78% fatal); • miscellaneous physical injury 17%; • net caught 17% (in country areas this is by barbed wire instead); • less than half are released and a quarter are euthanised.