'We need to make them survive': Australian rescues flying-foxes suffering from habitat loss
Janine Davies has nearly 50 flying foxes living with her.
From feeding bottles to cleaning, the part-time rescuer rarely gets a good night sleep lately.
Australia's raging forest fires have destroyed the habitat of many native species, including these grey-headed flying-foxes.
They're considered 'vulnerable' because their population is already dwindling due to threats from land clearing activities, which the fires have exacerbated.
Davies, the coordinator of Shoalhaven Bats Clinic and Sanctuary, has rescued five times more bats in the past three months compared to the same period last year.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) COORDINATOR OF 'SHOALHAVEN BAT CLINIC AND SANCTUARY', JANINE DAVIES SAYING:
"It's basically catastrophic. I mean the fire has just literally gone down the whole east coast of Australia and they just continuing to burn, I was shocked that all the area I collect blossoms for these little guys is gone, it's nothing but burnt sticks."
Usually one fruit bat will spend up to four-and-a-half-months in rehabilitation at the bat clinic before release back into the wild.
But due to the lack of food stocks caused by the fires, Davies is taking more time to research the best release location, fearing that she could send them back into another crisis.
The Australian government said it will provide up to 50 million Australian dollars - that's 34 million US dollars - in a wildlife recovery program focusing on the survival of the country's native animals.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) COORDINATOR OF 'SHOALHAVEN BAT CLINIC AND SANCTUARY', JANINE DAVIES SAYING:
"People have got to not be ignorant, we don't go out and pollinate forests, these guys do, and we need to do all we can to make them survive"
But if the population of the flying-foxes declines further, it could ultimately impact other endangered species living in the forests because they are a key pollinator for many trees including eucalyptus which is the sole food source for koalas.
相關影片推薦
- 00940該越跌越買?高勝率ETF投資組合這樣買進擊的荷包74,123 次觀看・1 週前
- 1:47誰替吳秉叡代投票? 葉元之公布影片:疑似楊曜|#鏡新聞鏡新聞43,266 次觀看・6 小時前
- 1:35已婚男帶女子住高檔摩鐵 突然猝死妻錯愕|#鏡新聞鏡新聞13,980 次觀看・1 天前
- 1:28兒媳搶家產 打人 還趕公公出門? 竹北紅布條引熱議東森新聞影音256,861 次觀看・1 天前
- 2:01長榮海運紀念品贈「薄毯」 股民趕上班前領取華視影音58,506 次觀看・7 小時前
- 1:4131歲接家業! 殷琪婚姻兩度觸礁又未婚生子民視影音546,094 次觀看・2 天前
- 2:16美大學挺巴勒斯坦學運升級 UCLA示威者遭毆、營地被投擲煙火 警方進駐鎮壓Yahoo奇摩(國際通)15,423 次觀看・8 小時前
- 2:24烏克蘭98歲阿嬤逃戰火 靠拖鞋、拐杖獨自步行10公里 從「二戰存活如今卻一無所有」Yahoo奇摩(國際通)13,569 次觀看・8 小時前
- 4:20傅崐萁訪陸帶兩岸紅利 民眾買單國民黨?街訪民眾表態【風向台灣 街訪】風向台灣155,206 次觀看・8 小時前
- 1:44返台前恐已擬好計畫! 自救會嘆「得償困難」|#鏡新聞鏡新聞2,061 次觀看・1 天前