Flying-foxes are turning up starving. Why are we still responding one crisis at a time?

Once again, Australia's flying-foxes are facing a crisis as wildlife carers struggle to care for large numbers of distressed animals in need of assistance. The affected areas are primarily New South Wales and eastern Victoria, where grey-headed flying-foxes are the most severely impacted species. The likely cause for this crisis is a shortage of food, which may be linked to a very warm winter that disrupted the flowering patterns of certain trees and led to a scarcity of nectar. However, this cause has not yet been confirmed, as investigations are ongoing.

This situation is unfortunately not the first mass death event for flying-foxes, as they have faced similar crises in the past. The 2019-20 Black Summer saw tens of thousands of deaths due to extreme heat, while thousands more succumbed to the same cause during the 2025-26 summer. Climate change is exacerbating the challenges faced by these vital, highly mobile bats.

Australia is ill-equipped to respond to wildlife emergencies affecting flying-foxes. Despite efforts between 2016 and 2025 to establish a national approach to managing these animals, no significant changes have been implemented. Flying-foxes primarily feed on eucalypt nectar and pollen, but they often resort to orchards when their preferred foods are scarce. These bats are adaptable and can find ephemeral food sources, but droughts and floods make it difficult to consistently locate sufficient nourishment.

For decades, flying-foxes have had to cope with food shortages. Studies from 1996 to 2020 show recurrent food shortages, alterations in the bats' distribution, and their growing reliance on agricultural and urban environments. Deforestation and urban expansion have significantly reduced the native winter-flowering habitat in southeast Queensland, making it harder for the animals to find nectar during the winter months.

Flying-foxes are among the most mobile creatures on Earth, capable of flying up to 100 kilometers per night. They migrate between a vast network of camps, easily recognizable by their constant noise and activity. Flying-foxes are nomadic, traveling long distances for food, and their movements are depicted in a map showing the journeys of grey-headed flying-foxes released from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney in 2012.

Australian cities provide flying-foxes with an attractive and stable food supply due to the presence of a mix of exotic and native trees that fruit or flower at different times. This allows the bats to spend more time at urban camps. However, when megafires like those in the Black Summer scorched extensive prime habitat, flying-foxes began foraging differently, seeking out lower-quality but unburned forests situated further inland.

While flying-foxes are ecologically vital and fascinating creatures, they are not always well-received by the public. Desperate animals may damage crops, and sudden changes in camp size can cause local communities to express concerns about noise and smell. It is essential to recognize the ecological importance of flying-foxes while simultaneously protecting both their habitat and human crops.

Additionally, the wildlife carers who respond to these ongoing crises need better support, including training, equipment, vaccinations, access to veterinarians, and assistance in boosting rehabilitation capacity.