Defence Against Tree Killers
February 25th 2009 01:05
stuck… (I didn’t do it.)
This frowning inflatable man is the latest non-harmful method used to deter flying-foxes from roosting in the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens.
Thirteen trees have died since 1995 and 60 are deemed critical as a result of damage caused by the large numbers of flying-foxes. The majority of flying-foxes found in the Gardens are Grey-headed Flying-foxes and it is said that their numbers can reach up to 22,000.
Flying-foxes roosting in a tree showing signs of damage. The leaves have been stripped clear off some of the branches.
The Botanic Gardens Trust proposes to relocate the flying-foxes in order to protect the heritage gardens, garden beds and collection of trees including some that were planted in the early nineteenth century and some which are rare in the wild today.
Up until 1920, flying-foxes were culled to reduce their numbers. Thankfully, this measure is no longer an option. The Grey-headed Flying-fox is now a threatened species with less than 450,000 estimated to be left in Australia.
Another tree damaged by flying-foxes
The Botanic Gardens Trust has tried various techniques to minimise flying-fox damage, which included playing recorded flying-fox distress calls, hanging mesh bags of toilet deodorant blocks in the trees, using high intensity strobe lights, and putting containers of raw bullock liver on the branches.
All these methods including the current one, inflatable man, have proved to be ineffective.
The Trust’s proposal for relocation is based on the successful flying-fox relocation at the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens in 2003, which involved a noise disturbance program. If the proposal is approved, the flying foxes in the Sydney Gardens will be relocated this May over a 2 to 4 week period.
Flying-foxes hanging from a damaged tree in the background
For more details on flying-foxes and the relocation program, please see the Flying-foxes page on the Botanic Gardens Trust website.
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