Flying‑foxes are starving. Why are we still responding one crisis at a time?

Australia's flying-foxes are facing a severe crisis, starving due to a lack of food. Wildlife caregivers are overwhelmed by the large numbers of distressed animals requiring care. The affected areas are New South Wales and eastern Victoria, with gray-headed flying-foxes being the most impacted species. The primary cause is believed to be a food shortage, possibly due to a warm winter altering flowering patterns of some trees.

This isn't the first mass death of flying-foxes; similar events occurred during the 2019-20 and 2025-26 summers, with climate change exacerbating their plight. Despite a national approach backed a decade ago, no significant changes have been made. Flying-foxes, while ecologically vital and highly mobile, are often seen as pests when they damage crops or create nuisances in urban areas.

However, they play a crucial role as long-distance pollinators and seed dispersers. To improve the situation, better support for wildlife caregivers and a comprehensive national monitoring program are needed.