The local community of a small town in Queensland, Australia have&nbsp;been plagued by a colony of "fruit bats"&nbsp;which have been causing widespread havoc.

What started as an uptick in fruit bat numbers around the small town of Ingham has become a virulent plague which the people of this town have been fighting to root out for the better part of the&nbsp;decade.

Sometimes referred to as "flying foxes", the bat colony has reached such biblical proportions that it now outnumbers Ingham's 4,300 residents by gargantuan margins. Residents have called the situation a "bat tornado", with the epicentre&nbsp;residing over the town's botanical gardens and the trees in nearby local primary schools.

Pilots and aviation enthusiasts in 2013 had complained about the flying foxes&nbsp;as their presence made flights difficult. Since then, the numbers in the colony have jumped yearly, which is worsened by the fact that hundreds of fruit bats die of heat-stroke every summer, leaving residents and local authorities to clean up dead bodies of flying fox pups.&nbsp;

<img alt="Dead bats" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="281a4e3f-0030-4983-b118-c00e90cf9391" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2873%29_2.jpg" /> 
[ Piles of fruit bat corpses litter the majority of Ingham - Representative Image (Courtesy: Doug&nbsp;Gimesy, National Geographic)

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/baby-flying-foxes-orphaned-by-australian-bushfires-get-a-foster-home-276599">Baby flying foxes orphaned by Australian bushfires get a foster home</a>

The most obvious problem being faced by Ingham residents is a spike in their daily interactions with guano or bat droppings. This not only includes the sight and smell but also the sensation of stepping in a pile whenever one steps out of the safety of their homes.&nbsp;

The constant cacophony of screeches also adds to local disgust.&nbsp;The major concern when it comes to infections is that&nbsp;Australian bat lyssavirus (ABL) can be transferred via scratches or bites.

Though the risk of infection is low and only three confirmed cases have been registered in the country since was&nbsp;discovered&nbsp;in 1996 but&nbsp;research data from the Australian Journal of General Practice states that ABL has a 100 per cent kill rate.

<img alt="Map of Infected region" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="15d82678-d341-4f4e-ada7-f6161b84c4f9" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2871%29.jpg" /> 
[&nbsp;Current declared Ingham Roost area&nbsp;(Courtesy: Department of Environment and Science,&nbsp;Hinchinbrook Shire Council) ]

The virus is similar to classical rabies and there are no cures for this once symptoms appear. However, the government of New South Wales has stated rapid and thorough cleaning of the wound, as well as prompt administration of rabies immunoglobulin and vaccine which can prevent the spread of the disease.

The Ingham local council has limited options when&nbsp;it comes to dispersing the colony&nbsp;as bats are protected under Queensland law despite the potential health risk their existence poses.

<img alt="flying fox" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="21b4c49b-46f6-4fdd-ae62-cb5ce9f51215" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2872%29_1.jpg" /> 
[ An adult flying fox (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

Smoke, noise and light can qualify as non-lethal methods to disperse of the animals, but local law dictates that these cannot be used when the bats are breeding. As per reports, there have been claims that the techniques in question are "rarely very successful" and extremely expensive when dispersing bat colonies.

The local community of a small town in Queensland, Australia have been plagued by a colony of "fruit bats" which have been causing widespread havoc. What started as an uptick in fruit bat numbers around the small town of Ingham has become a virulent plague which the people of this town have been fighting to root out for the better part of the decade.

The local community of a small town in Queensland, Australia have been plagued by a colony of "fruit bats" which have been causing widespread havoc. What started as an uptick in fruit bat numbers around the small town of Ingham has become a virulent plague which the people of this town have been fighting to root out for the better part of the decade. Sometimes referred to as "flying foxes", the bat colony has reached such biblical proportions that it now outnumbers Ingham's 4,300 residents by gargantuan margins. Residents have called the situation a "bat tornado", with the epicentre residing over the town's botanical gardens and the trees in nearby local primary schools. Pilots and aviation enthusiasts in 2013 had complained about the flying foxes as their presence made flights difficult. Since then, the numbers in the colony have jumped yearly, which is worsened by the fact that hundreds of fruit bats die of heat-stroke every summer, leaving residents and local authorities to clean up dead bodies of flying fox pups. [ Piles of fruit bat corpses litter the majority of Ingham - Representative Image (Courtesy: Doug Gimesy, National Geographic) Also Read: Baby flying foxes orphaned by Australian bushfires get a foster home The most obvious problem being faced by Ingham residents is a spike in their daily interactions with guano or bat droppings. This not only includes the sight and smell but also the sensation of stepping in a pile whenever one steps out of the safety of their homes. The constant cacophony of screeches also adds to local disgust. The major concern when it comes to infections is that Australian bat lyssavirus (ABL) can be transferred via scratches or bites. Though the risk of infection is low and only three confirmed cases have been registered in the country since was discovered in 1996 but research data from the Australian Journal of General Practice states that ABL has a 100 per cent kill rate. [ Current declared Ingham Roost area (Courtesy: Department of Environment and Science, Hinchinbrook Shire Council) ] The virus is similar to classical rabies and there are no cures for this once symptoms appear. However, the government of New South Wales has stated rapid and thorough cleaning of the wound, as well as prompt administration of rabies immunoglobulin and vaccine which can prevent the spread of the disease. The Ingham local council has limited options when it comes to dispersing the colony as bats are protected under Queensland law despite the potential health risk their existence poses. [ An adult flying fox (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Smoke, noise and light can qualify as non-lethal methods to disperse of the animals, but local law dictates that these cannot be used when the bats are breeding. As per reports, there have been claims that the techniques in question are "rarely very successful" and extremely expensive when dispersing bat colonies.

'Bat tornado' wreaks widespread havoc in Australian town

Janine Davies is running on little sleep as she cares for around 50 grey-headed flying foxes that have lost both their mothers and homes to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australians-rejoice-as-showers-of-rain-on-bushfire-ravaged-east-coast-bring-relief-274798">Australia's huge bushfires</a>.

The mammals, also known as fruit bats, are hugely important to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-bushfires-to-fuel-biggest-annual-rise-in-co2-concentration-this-year-276424">country's forests</a> as they disperse seeds and pollinate many tree species, including eucalyptus, the sole food source of koalas. Already threatened by deforestation and a dwindling population, the flying foxes are classified as a "vulnerable" species under Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

"Without this night time pollinator, our eucalyptus forests are going to suffer and ultimately die," said Davies, the coordinator for Shoalhaven Bat Clinic and Sanctuary.

<img alt="baby grey-headed flying fox" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cbc233ff-dcd9-4efe-b422-141b780667c2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2878%29_1.jpg" /> 
[ Baby grey-headed flying fox being nursed back to health (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/bushfires-can-ecosystems-recover-from-such-dramatic-losses-of-biodiversity-275472">Bushfires: Can ecosystems recover from such dramatic losses of biodiversity?</a>

"That means that other species, such as our koalas, possums, birds and insects, anything that inhabits a eucalyptus forest, will suffer." With its wingspan spreading up to one metre (3.28 ft), the flying fox can travel up to 50 kilometres (31 miles) and is one of the biggest bats in Australia - making it a champion pollinator.

<img alt="Juvenile grey-headed flying fox peeps out from a towel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ca98ab6c-0ec2-422c-add4-f3e54e8a0f6c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2877%29_4.jpg" /> 
[&nbsp;A juvenile grey-headed flying fox peeps out from a towel as it hangs in a care centre (Courtesy: Reuters) ]

Orphaned babies are fed a specially formulated high-protein, low-energy milk via customised bottles and teats, which helps promote lean muscle growth for flight. Davies, whose coastal home is about 156 kilometres (96.93 miles) south of Sydney, said she has rescued five times more bats in the past three months than over the same period a year ago as bushfires have raged through their habitat.

Earlier this month the Australian government launched a $50 million wildlife recovery programme focusing on the survival of the country's iconic native animals, particularly the koala. "I was shocked that all the area I collect blossoms for these little guys is gone, it's nothing but burnt sticks," said Davies. "That is going to be our next problem. Is there going to be enough food for the species to survive?" 
&nbsp;

Janine Davies is running on little sleep as she cares for around 50 grey-headed flying foxes that have lost both their mothers and homes to Australia's huge bushfires.

Janine Davies is running on little sleep as she cares for around 50 grey-headed flying foxes that have lost both their mothers and homes to Australia's huge bushfires. The mammals, also known as fruit bats, are hugely important to the country's forests as they disperse seeds and pollinate many tree species, including eucalyptus, the sole food source of koalas. Already threatened by deforestation and a dwindling population, the flying foxes are classified as a "vulnerable" species under Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. "Without this night time pollinator, our eucalyptus forests are going to suffer and ultimately die," said Davies, the coordinator for Shoalhaven Bat Clinic and Sanctuary. [ Baby grey-headed flying fox being nursed back to health (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Also Read: Bushfires: Can ecosystems recover from such dramatic losses of biodiversity? "That means that other species, such as our koalas, possums, birds and insects, anything that inhabits a eucalyptus forest, will suffer." With its wingspan spreading up to one metre (3.28 ft), the flying fox can travel up to 50 kilometres (31 miles) and is one of the biggest bats in Australia - making it a champion pollinator. [ A juvenile grey-headed flying fox peeps out from a towel as it hangs in a care centre (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Orphaned babies are fed a specially formulated high-protein, low-energy milk via customised bottles and teats, which helps promote lean muscle growth for flight. Davies, whose coastal home is about 156 kilometres (96.93 miles) south of Sydney, said she has rescued five times more bats in the past three months than over the same period a year ago as bushfires have raged through their habitat. Earlier this month the Australian government launched a $50 million wildlife recovery programme focusing on the survival of the country's iconic native animals, particularly the koala. "I was shocked that all the area I collect blossoms for these little guys is gone, it's nothing but burnt sticks," said Davies. "That is going to be our next problem. Is there going to be enough food for the species to survive?"

Baby flying foxes orphaned by Australian bushfires get a foster home

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