{"id":556517,"date":"2026-03-22T07:04:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T07:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/556517\/"},"modified":"2026-03-22T07:04:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T07:04:14","slug":"drivers-warned-to-use-extreme-caution-after-reports-1000-animals-disorientated-by-sudden-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/556517\/","title":{"rendered":"Drivers warned to use ‘extreme caution’ after reports 1,000 animals disorientated by sudden event"},"content":{"rendered":"

Investigations are underway after reports that masses of roosting grey-headed flying foxes<\/a> have been displaced.<\/p>\n

Large numbers of bats have been filmed flying around 63km southeast of Melbourne<\/a>, after tree harvesting works began in a plantation they had been roosting in.<\/p>\n

Flying fox rescue group Fly By Night <\/a>has warned anyone driving in the Koo-Wee-Rup area to take \u201cextreme caution\u201d, as it expects disoriented bats to be travelling low at night, posing a danger to themselves and people.<\/p>\n

Across Australia, there have been previous incidents during which flying foxes have collided with humans after being displaced.<\/p>\n

In an unrelated event in 2022, <\/a>disoriented bats flew into cars, people, and even dogs during a starvation event.<\/p>\n

And in 2023, wedding guests at a property in NSW<\/a> were unnerved after flying foxes flew towards their tables.<\/p>\n

While grey-headed flying foxes are still commonly seen in the night sky, numbers have plummeted around Australia, and the species is listed as vulnerable to extinction<\/a> both federally and internationally.<\/p>\n

If members of the public find a displaced animal on the ground, they are warned not to touch it, as on rare occasions<\/a>, they can carry zoonotic diseases.<\/a><\/p>\n

Instead, they’re urged to contact their local wildlife rescue group.<\/p>\n

Thoroughness of investigation questioned<\/p>\n

Officers from Victoria\u2019s Conservation Regulator, which sits within the Department of Environment <\/a>(DEECA) were sent to the private property in Koo-Wee-Rup where logging occurred, after multiple wildlife rescuers reported grey-headed flying foxes had been displaced between Wednesday and Friday.<\/p>\n

It told Yahoo News that its officers \u201cfound no immediate animal welfare risks\u201d.<\/p>\n

But Fly By Night, independent rescuers, and a Victorian politician, have questioned the thoroughness of the investigation, alleging officers have not adequately searched the property or looked under logs for crushed animals.<\/p>\n

Founder of the Fly By Night, Tamsyn Hogarth,<\/a> told Yahoo News, \u201cThey really need to check under the logs for bodies\u201d.<\/p>\n

She’s repeatedly voiced concerns that flying foxes aren’t as highly regarded as other native species in Australia, because they’re often maligned as a nuisance. <\/a><\/p>\n

Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell echoed her concerns about the search, saying it was \u201cinexcusable\u201d if the reports were correct that officers had not looked beneath logs.<\/p>\n

She also questioned whether the stress had been factored into the agency’s assessment.<\/p>\n

“The impacts that this operation may have had on this colony likely won’t be known for some time,” she said.<\/p>\n

When contacted by Yahoo News, the Conservation Regulator did not respond directly to the concerns raised about its investigation, but it noted the matter was ongoing.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story? Contact newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Close<\/p>\n

Grey-headed flying foxes are listed as vulnerable to extinction. Source: Getty<\/p>\n

(Getty Images\/iStockphoto)1,000 bats alleged to have been displaced<\/p>\n

Fly By Night estimates there were at least 1,000 flying foxes living at the site, but surveys after the tree harvest found only 200 in the immediate area.<\/p>\n

Hogarth warns that a sudden loss of habitat would leave the animals exhausted as they search for a place to roost and feed.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s the juveniles she\u2019s particularly concerned about.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m confident there would have been pups \u2013 we\u2019re still seeing 12-week-olds in camps,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll still be dependent on their mums and pretty vulnerable because they can\u2019t do long-distance flights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Displaced flying foxes are particularly susceptible to hot weather, and thousands died in heatwave events earlier in 2026.<\/p>\n

To survive, they seek out dense forests where it\u2019s cool. But, worryingly, the large numbers of flying foxes have been seen in exposed narrow patches of trees beside railway tracks and fencelines.<\/p>\n

Anyone with information about the alleged incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can also follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n