2015-10-13 Planning & Organisation Agenda Attachment 1 to Item 6 Draft Flying Fox Management Plan

 draft
4         Available management options
Options for management involve either mitigation or dispersal, or both. Mitigation aims to
reduce amenity impacts to residents while flying-foxes remain at the roost, whereas dispersal
aims to non-lethally disperse the population from the site to more suitable location(s).


4.1       Mitigation

4.1.1     Education

Engaging and educating people is key to ensuring the community understands the ecological
importance of flying-foxes, the actual health risks, and options available to reduce impacts
associated with roosting and foraging flying-foxes. Collecting and providing information should
always be the first response to community concerns, and should be a key component of any
approach.

Residents should be made aware that faecal drop and noise at night are mainly associated
with foraging flying-foxes. There are a number of things that landholders can do to reduce
these impacts (see Section 4.1.2).

Residents should also be provided with disease risk information, some of which is included
below.

Australian Bat Lyssavirus

Australian Bat Lyssavirus (ABLV) is a rabies-like virus found in the four common species of
flying-fox. Advice from Queensland Health is that the risk of becoming infected with ABLV is
very low (Queensland Health 2015).

Transmission of the virus from bats to humans is thought to be by a bite or scratch, but may
have potential to be transferred if bat saliva directly contacts the eyes, nose or mouth. ABLV
is unlikely to survive in the environment for more than a few hours, especially in dry
environments that are exposed to sunlight (Queensland Health 2015).

Transmission of closely related viruses suggests that contact or exposure to bat faeces, urine
or blood do not pose a risk of exposure to ABLV, nor do living, playing or walking near bat
roosting areas (Queensland Health 2015).

The disease in humans can easily be prevented by avoiding direct contact with bats. Pre and
post-exposure vaccinations are also available that will prevent the disease.




Flying-fox roost management options                                         ecosure.com.au | 12