This listing was transferred to the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 when it came into force on 25 August 2017. Almost half the species of this type of fruit bat are now threatened with extinction. But the number of casualties becomes even more significant when dealing with already endangered species. This one’s so adorable, with its straw-coloured fur around its eyes, the Spectacled Flying-fox is but another of Australia’s endangered mammals. Cairns is home to a large number of flying-foxes. They are considered vulnerable due to a significant decline in numbers as a result of loss of their prime feeding habitat and secluded camp sites. Habitat. It is the largest specie of flying fox that lives there and it is also the only endangered specie of flying fox. - Buy this stock photo and explore similar images at Adobe Stock Credit: Stefan Kellner. But when the spectacled flying-fox was finally declared endangered in February 2019, they already qualified as critically endangered, according to official guidelines . Australia’s vastly diminished Spectacled flying fox population faces a new threat to its survival following a recent federal decision granting the relocation of a significant roosting colony of spectacled flying foxes in Cairns. The Spectacled flying-fox A community perspective Maree Treadwell Kerr BatSoc Inc CRC Flying-fox Advisory Committee Australasian Bat Society Wildlife Tourism Australia Griffith University. Four species of flying fox, otherwise known as fruit-bat, are already native to Australia. Spectacled flying-fox. In Australia, it’s found in north-east Queensland and on the Torres Strait Islands, as well as in Papua New Guinea, parts of Indonesia and the Solomon Islands. They roost together in groups often made up of tens of thousands of bats, called camps. The Spectacled flying foxes (Range – Nth QLD) and Grey-headed flying foxes (range: east coast from northern NSW to Geelong) are the most endangered with declines of more than ninety-five percent in the past century. The flying fox lives in Australia. However, when a female doesn't yield offspring, her mate will leave to breed with other females, thus exhibiting polygynous breeding. Camps are often found in patches of rainforest and swamps as well as mangroves. Spectacled flying foxes normally display monogamous mating system, where each individual has only one mate per season. Official recognition that the spectacled flying fox is now an endangered species was bittersweet for those who lobbied for its change in status. The council is permitted to disperse the flying-foxes with deterrent measures, including pyrotechnics, intense lighting, acoustic devices and other non-lethal means. The major reason is that during a heat wave in early 2019, 23,000 flying … Spectacled Flying Foxes outside of the Cairns Public Library. 701k members in the environment community. An extreme heatwave in far north Queensland last month is estimated to have killed a third of spectacled flying foxes, sparking calls to class the species as 'critically endangered'. flying fox is endangered becuase of pochers. Justin Welbergen Why dispersals don’t work. Both species are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and high levels of state protection. Cairns dispersal of endangered spectacled flying-foxes from CBD nationally important flying-fox camp. It is the largest specie of flying fox that lives there and it is also the only endangered specie of flying fox. But when the spectacled flying-fox was finally declared endangered in February 2019, they already qualified as critically endangered, according to official guidelines. Dr Martin Cohen, wildlife biologist and Chair of the Cairns Flying Fox Advisory Committee slams Cairns Regional Council's plans to disperse Endangered Spectacled Flying … Let’s learn a little more about this megabat, shall we? The Spectacled Flying Fox is also known as the Spectacled Fruit Bat but I prefer the Flying Fox so we are going to stick with that one. Spectacled Flying-foxes will skim over the surface of water to drink and are sometimes eaten by crocodiles. I mentioned that the Spectacled Flying Fox is a megabat and for good reason since their capable of growing to a length of 25 cm (9.8″). These include the Little Red Flying-Fox; Black Flying-Fox; Grey-headed Flying-Fox and Spectacled Flying-Fox. The mating season lasts from March to May. Spectacled Flying-foxes. It’s an incredibly significant site for the Endangered species and is recognised as one of just twenty ‘Nationally Important Camps’ that should be conserved. The listing was primarily based on the national population decline of around 30 percent. Yes, a bat that is almost a foot long! Even though the IUCN Red List states the spectacled flying fox is stable, the Australian government as listed them as endangered. There are 44 known roost sites (or camps) across the Cairns local government area, of which six are listed as Nationally Important Camps. The spectacled flying-fox camp in Cairns has a tumultuous history, being subject to creeping destruction and the impacts of construction projects for years. Current news, information and issues related to the environment. Spectacled Flying-foxes roost high on the branches of trees. On Saturday, Cairns Regional Council will disperse up to 8,000 endangered spectacled flying-foxes from their nationally important camp in central Cairns. A wild and endangered Spectacled Flying Fox among some passionfruit vines at a wildlife hospital in Kuranda, Queensland. On some islands, bat species are protected by law. Why are spectacled flying foxes endangered? On many islands, Flying Foxes are targeted for hunting because they eat fruit from farms. The spectacled flying-fox has required a lot of detailed modelling. IMAGE: Justin Welbergen Why dispersals don’t work. 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. The Spectacled Flying-Fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) was first scientifically described in 1850 by John Gould and, when listed earlier this year, joined another 37 mammals added to the Australian national endangered list. There are several reasons for this. The grey-headed flying-fox was listed as Vulnerable to extinction under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 in 2001. The Spectacled Flying-fox was listed as a threatened species under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999. The flying fox lives in Australia. Endangered spectacled flying-foxes are set to be dispersed from their camp in Cairns CBD, one of the last strongholds of the species. Popular with tourists, flying foxes are a source of tension among locals. Hardy calls for reducing the flying fox population to about 13,000 individuals—the number he estimates lived on the island in the 1970s. Of the 65 species of Flying Foxes worldwide, almost half are at risk of extinction. Modelling identified that the species was likely to be extinct in less than 100 years due to the high levels of death associated with human interactions. Endangered spectacled flying-foxes are set to be dispersed from their camp in Cairns CBD, one of the last strongholds of the species. In February, federal Environment Minister Melissa Price upgraded the spectacled flying fox from vulnerable to endangered on the national threatened species list. The camp is one of the last major strongholds of the species, harbouring, on average, 12% of Australia’s remaining spectacled flying-foxes. Flying foxes are in deep trouble. Counts of Spectacled Flying-fox conducted between 1998 and 2000 indicated the Spectacled Flying-fox population declined from 153,000 in 1998 to about 80,000 in 1999 and 2000. We, the signatories of this petition, request Cairns Regional Council to cancel all plans to ‘disperse’ (forcibly evict) critically endangered Spectacled Flying Foxes from the nationally significant Cairns City Library camp as it will place great stress on this species leading to higher mortality rates. Noel Preece, Penny van Oosterzee, Maree Kerr, Evan Quartermain, and Justin Welbergen published a Conversation piece about the long series of controversial management actions that culminated in the decision to disperse the bats from the Cairns City Library site. 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