Mass starvation and premature births among flying foxes in NSW and Victoria

Consensus Summary

A catastrophic mass starvation event is devastating grey-headed flying fox populations across New South Wales and parts of Victoria, with wildlife rescuers overwhelmed by reports of emaciated adults and premature pups. Both the Guardian and ABC confirm that the crisis has surged since late September, with rescuers receiving 50 to 90 daily calls in NSW alone—a dramatic increase from previous months. The October birthing season has been disrupted, with hundreds of premature pups weighing as little as 40 grams, far below the healthy newborn weight of 80 or 90 grams. Experts warn that about 95 per cent of these underweight pups will likely die in care, marking an unprecedented conservation crisis for the species, which is already listed as vulnerable under federal law.

The starvation event is linked to habitat loss, poor seasonal flowering of eucalypts, and a prolonged dry winter, according to the Guardian. The Guardian also notes that thousands of heat-related deaths occurred among flying foxes this summer, exacerbating the population decline. ABC reports that the Illawarra region has confirmed severely emaciated flying foxes in recent testing, while the Guardian highlights disruptions to Melbourne’s Yarra Bend camp due to freeway construction, further straining the already stressed colonies. Both outlets agree that malnourished female flying foxes in their final month of gestation are losing pups due to insufficient nutrition, with many dying before or shortly after birth.

Key figures in the response include Rachael Smethurst, bat coordinator at Fawna wildlife rescue, who described the surge in callouts as historic, and Trista Thorpe of Wildlife Rescue South Coast, who has worked nonstop for 48 hours caring for 53 flying foxes at their Nowra clinic. Thorpe noted that premature pups require two-hourly feeds around the clock, leaving volunteers exhausted. The Guardian quotes Wires wildlife vet Dr Vere Nicolson, who called caring for the premature pups ‘labour-intensive and not universally successful,’ while ABC highlights ecologist Kerryn Parry-Jones, who has spent 30 years in the field and described the premature births as ‘unprecedented.’ Both outlets emphasize the strain on volunteers, with limited resources and long distances between rescue sites complicating efforts.

While both sources agree on the severity of the crisis, they differ in emphasis. The Guardian focuses on the broader geographic spread of the starvation, from northern NSW to Victoria, and includes details about human-bat interactions, such as 43 reported scratches or bites in the past two weeks. In contrast, ABC zeroes in on specific regions like the Illawarra and central coast, providing granular details about premature pup weights and the overwhelming volume of reports—over 460 since late September. The Guardian also mentions behavioural changes in the bats, such as eating during the day and drinking water from the grass, while ABC underscores the logistical challenges faced by rescuers, including the high cost of lyssavirus vaccines and the physical toll of around-the-clock care.

The exact cause of the starvation event remains unclear, though both outlets suggest temporary food shortages due to climatic events like drought or El Niño conditions. The Guardian cautions that food shortages can be aggravated by such factors, while ABC notes that the federal environment department is investigating the possibility of a pre-October mass starvation event. Neither source provides a definitive timeline for recovery, but both stress the urgency of the situation. With pups continuing to be born prematurely and volunteers stretched to their limits, the immediate focus remains on stabilizing the surviving animals and mitigating further losses before the end of the birthing season.