General

A 'soft release' is where a flying-fox is released at a site that has support feeding.

This is usually the release site for orphaned young (who are now juveniles) that have not had the opportunity of a 'wild experience'.

Food is slowly decreased over a period as the juvenile bats start eating a wild diet, flight muscles get stronger as they fly further each night to forage for pollen, nectar and rainforest fruit.
Photo Credit: Marina Tretiach

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Rachel, the juvenile bat, has recovered from the corneal ulcers she had in both eyes, as well as the swollen and infected thumb. She has put on weight, and she is now in the company of several other juvenile flying-foxes, who like Rachel had got into trouble on one of their early flights. The young bats were all very small in size on intake, however they have now graduated to a large flight aviary where they will be able to further develop their flight skills and gain in strength and size, prior to release in Spring.
Photo by Charmian Gradwell. Text by Charmian Gradwell & Jillian Snell

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Amy Barrett from BBC's Science Focus Magazine uncovers that 'Scientists now believe that it is the characteristic traits of the viruses, rather than their animal hosts, that will be the more useful predictors of zoonotic transmission.'

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Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) vision is to ensure Victoria is a place with a diverse and healthy natural environment that is protected, respected and enjoyed by all.

However this vision is difficult to achieve when governments and developers are more focussed on avoiding their responsibilities than protecting Australia's natural heritage. According to VNPA's President, Bruce McGregor, the Andrews Government has done little to improve nature conservation in Victoria.

At a recent meeting the National Parks Australia Council a national body, concerned with protecting the natural environment and furthering national parks, reported that issues such as under-funding, pest plants and animals and encroachment by private tourism developments exist in all Australia's national parks and protected areas.

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HSI concentrates on the preservation of endangered animals and ecosystems and works to ensure quality of life for both domestic and wild animals. HSI is the largest animal protection not-for-profit organisation in the world and has been established in Australia since 1994.

Included in the Content Section is HSI's Head of Programs, Evan Quartermain's media release about the spectacled flying-fox status upgrade and his comments about the success of the NSW Netting Subsidy Scheme.

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'They are maligned as fruit thieves, disease carriers and even friends of Dracula. But there is a lot more to these mysterious creatures than meets the eye'.
Simone Fox Koob (April 22, 2019)

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