{
  "id": 17224796,
  "title": "Flying‑foxes are starving. Why are we still responding one crisis at a time?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/flying-foxes-are-starving-why-are-we-still-responding-one-crisis-at-a",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-30T12:20:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-flyingfoxes-starving-crisis.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "Once again, Australia's flying-foxes are in trouble.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Conversation AU",
        "title": "Flying-foxes are turning up starving. Why are we still responding one crisis at a time?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/flying-foxes-are-turning-up-starving-why-are-we-still-responding-one",
        "published": "2026-10-29T19:12:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}