Botanic Gardens Trust Executive Director, Dr Tim Entwisle today welcomed the Federal Government’s approval to allow the relocation of a large flying-fox camp roosting at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens.
Dr Entwisle said the decision announced today by Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett ,is great news for the Royal Botanic Gardens and for the 3.5 million tourists and locals who visit the iconic location every year.
“The damage they are inflicting on our heritage trees is terrible and it will get worse,” Dr Entwisle said.
“After a long consultation process and taking into account scientific and animal welfare considerations, a safe and humane plan has been developed to relocate the flying-foxes and give the Gardens a chance to recover.
“If the flying foxes are not relocated, the Palm Grove will have to be closed for public health and safety reasons and the plant collections will continue to be destroyed.
“As part of the relocation, the Botanic Gardens Trust will conduct the most extensive scientific research projects ever on this threatened species, contributing to conservation work to protect them. Tagging and radio tracking of the flying-foxes will provide essential information on their patterns of movement, helping to manage the relocation,” he said.
Starting in June, when flying-fox numbers are at their lowest and the monitoring program is in place, intermittent noise will be used during the day in the central areas of the Royal Botanic Gardens with some early morning noises if necessary.
At their peak, over 22,000 Grey-headed Flying-foxes camp at the Gardens. So far, they have killed 26 mature trees, 20 palms and many understorey plants. More than 300 additional trees and palms are being damaged by roosting flying-foxes, including rare, scientifically valuable and heritage species. Many of these plants are in a critical state, sustaining severe damage to all or part of their canopies.
Dr Entwisle said although some will miss the sight of flying-foxes roosting in the Gardens, they’ll still forage there for food at night and it will be a relief to most that the historical trees and plant collections can recover from 20 years of damage caused by the flying-foxes.
He said Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens strategy is based on a successful Grey-headed Flying-fox relocation by the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Dr Philip Moors said, "The relocation project in Melbourne in 2003 was very successful. The parts of the Royal Botanic Gardens damaged by years of flying-fox roosting have gradually recovered, and the flying-foxes have established and settled into their new bushland colony on the Yarra River."relocation by the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
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