Loud bangs to scare off Sydney’s bats

Loud industrial noise and banging sounds will be played twice a day at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens to scare off a destructive colony of 5000 flying foxes.

The first computerised recordings will be played on loud speakers from 5.30pm (AEST) on Monday in central areas of the garden, including Palm Grove.

The noises will be played for 45 minutes before dawn and 30 minutes at sunset until the grey-headed flying fox colony finds a new home.

The garden has permission to play the noises twice a day until July.

It’s hoped the bats will to join existing permanent colonies at Parramatta, Centennial Park, Gordon, Wolli Creek, Clyde, Cabramatta, Avalon, Macquarie Fields and Kareela Park.

Seasonal colonies also gather at Oatley, Warriewood, Fairlight, Gladesville and Kurnell.

Royal Botanic Garden director Mark Savio says the relocation comes after a two-year delay in getting federal government approval and five years of planning.

The bats have already destroyed 28 trees and 30 palms and damaged a further 300 trees, with 60 of these on the critical list.

“The relocation plan is designed to protect the welfare of the animals and halt the damage being done to the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney,” Mr Savio said in a statement.

The relocation is expected to take several weeks, and 100 bats have been fitted with satellite collars to track their movement.

The strategy of playing loud noise is modelling on the successful relocation of a grey-headed flying-fox colony at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne in 2003.

Flying fox numbers at the Botanic Gardens peaked at 22,000 in 2010.

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