Threatened Species Day
September 7th was Threatened Species Day
This date commemorates the death of the last known Tasmanian Tiger after decades of human persecution caused the species to be unsustainable.
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The Grey Headed Flying Fox is the focus this year.
This animal is currently facing huge persecution in a number of areas and states of Australia. Grey Headed Flying Foxes are absolutely vital in the pollination of many of Australia’s forest trees. These trees that only flower overnight cannot possibly be pollinated by birds of a daytime. These highly intelligent animals are forced to roost in places that they’d probably prefer not to…..but deforestation, logging, floods, drought and other factors have forced them to move around Australia in search of food and new roost sites.
Many Australian Government departments have virtually declared war on them as residents refuse to share their surroundings with them. Forcing them to leave their current roosts usually only breaks up the colony into smaller groups and they rarely end up going well away from the urban areas they also call home.
They are not vermin laden pests as many people label them. Very few carry disease and as they do not “attack humans” ….. there is no way of being infected unless you intend on handling them. Carers, who look after these beautiful creatures when they get injured, are immunised against Lyssa virus….just to be certain.
Grey Headed Flying Foxes are also a good indicator of a healthy environment. If they aren’t doing well then the local ecosystem is also suffering.
These Flying Foxes are a threatened species and we humans should all be doing our best to assist their survival. The world would be a sadder place if these creatures no longer exist and our own existence would then become threatened.
The environmental work they do is very specialised.
All living creatures just want to live a peaceful existence with somewhere safe and comfortable to call home for themselves and their babies with enough food and water nearby to keep them healthy. What right do humans have to prevent the simplistic needs of so many species…..it’s not the animals who are in our way. Rather us who are in theirs.