Hanging around in Adelaide
Grey-headed flying foxes have been visiting South Australia for years, but in 2010 they arrived en masse from the eastern states.
It’s thought habitat loss and other environmental conditions led them to seek greener pastures, and for some reason they figured Botanic Park would be a great place to – quite literally – hang out.
Having formed a colony in the trees west of Plane Tree Drive, there’s now more than 40,000 flying foxes and they’re protected under SA’s National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. They’re listed as vulnerable throughout Australia but in recent years their numbers have stabilised.
There are also colonies in other parts of the state, including Port Augusta and a pine forest near Millicent.
Grey-headed flying foxes have a wingspan up to 1m, making them Australia’s largest bats. Though, they may be a little intimidated in the company of the Philippines’ giant golden-crowned flying fox – the world’s biggest bat with a wingspan of about 1.7m
Bat-phobic folk who fear Transylvanian-style blood theft can rest assured these bats are strictly fruit and flower eaters and would rather feast on figs than your neck.
While they don’t usually get bitey around humans, they may scratch or bite if they feel threatened. Bats can carry nasty viruses, so it’s best to leave them alone. If you come across a sick, injured or orphaned bat, call Bat Rescue SA on 0475 132 093 or Fauna Rescue SA on 8486 1139.
Grey-headed flying foxes are nocturnal and travel up to 50km at night to feed. Head to their Botanic Park roosting site at dusk to watch them wake up, swirl about overhead, and then flap off across the suburbs.
Although they scatter to all points of the compass at nightfall, there seems to be a couple of particularly popular destinations.
Look skyward on the eastern side of Victoria Park to see a steady line of bats heading south, while a similarly busy procession fly east towards the hills.
You’ll also see them fussing about along the River Torrens and in many other spots throughout the suburbs.
Grey-headed flying foxes have embraced Adelaide’s impressive ranking on world liveability scales, and are doing their bit by pollinating flowers and spreading seeds for future fruit crops.