Flying foxes die in their thousands in worst mass-mortality event since Australia’s black summer

In the worst mass mortality event for flying foxes since Australia’s black summer, thousands of these bats have died in the recent heatwave across South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. Extreme temperatures over 42 degrees Celsius led to the deaths, with grey-headed flying foxes, listed as vulnerable, being the most affected. Volunteers and wildlife organizations are working to rescue and care for the surviving bats, but the loss of life is significant, with researchers estimating at least 1,000 to 2,000 deaths in South Australia, thousands in Victoria, and up to 1,000 in New South Wales.