Batemans Bay, a town in New South Wales, has been invaded by thousands of grey-headed flying foxes.

The lives of the residents are greatly affected. The swarm has been causing power outages, driving potential tourists away and pushing property prices to hit an all-time low. Many of the bats are on trees and some even on clotheslines. Some residents cannot even go out of their house and work.

Because of this, the town has declared a state of emergency and the government has committed A$2.5 million, or around US$1.8 million, for the dispersal of the bats.

"Well, I think it's a natural disaster. It's a disaster for residents, it's a disaster for the flora and fauna," local MP Andrew Constance said.

Russell Schneider of the Flying Fox Task Force said that the swarm of bats is unprecedented. Their numbers are the biggest that have been seen so far. But because these grey-headed flying foxes are protected species, the officials cannot cull them. Dispersal of the bats must be non-lethal.

The task force is planning to use noise and smoke to drive them away. Now, the officials are cutting down trees to clear vegetation that serves as refuge and food for the bats.

Animal rights advocates, however, have said that such actions are unnecessary - the bats will move on their own when they are ready.

Flying Foxes

Flying foxes are the only mammals that are capable of sustained flight. In Australia, there are four species: the spectacled flying fox, the black flying fox, the little red flying fox and the grey-headed flying fox. They are known to have good vision and a strong sense of smell that they use to find nutrition at night.

They are often sighted in coastal areas where the mangroves, eucalyptus trees and swamps are because they prefer pollen and nectar from native trees and plants.

Photo: Greg Schechter | Flickr