Where are the flying-foxes likely to go when they are relocated from the Royal Botanic Garden?
Flying-foxes are semi-nomadic and move along the east coast between camps in Queensland, Victoria and within NSW – this species behaves differently each season and year in response to food availability (flowering and fruiting of native forest). We know from radio and satellite tracking and band recoveries that flying-foxes within Queensland, NSW and Victoria form a continuous population – not discrete populations in isolation. Radio tracking studies of flying-foxes in Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and neighboring Sydney camps have demonstrated that, at the local level, that there is a continuous population – readily moving between camps. In other words, flying-foxes re-located from here will be familiar with other camp sites and regional foraging resources. We have identified suitable re-location sites, approved by the land managers, in the Sydney area. These include one existing camp (Ku-ring-gai Flying-fox Reserve) as well as new potential sites approved by National Parks and Wildlife
