Bats place city in tough spot

THE bats situation in the Cairns CBD is a real dilemma.

On the one hand the endangered species is causing a lot of disruption.

They are noisy and dirty and can spread disease.

The environment is not natural and is too hot for the mammals.

They roost in trees between highrise concrete buildings and traffic and people.

But the bats also are a wonderful spectacle, especially at dusk when they leave their roosts to go in search of food during the night.

Every night their flights delight the many tourists and visitors in the CBD who look skyward and take photographs and videos.

A golden penda tree at the corner of Lake and Aplin streets has to be free of bats before Cairns Regional Council workers can do roadworks in the vicinity under laws protecting the animals.

The council will use noise and lights to scare away the bats before the work can be done.

In the meantime, the council has yet to formally lodge applications with state and federal governments to relocate the City Library bat colony.

The council is hoping the bats will be attracted to a flying fox care and release enclosure under construction at Arthur Strike Park, Edmonton.

The $72,000 enclosure, located towards Trinity Inlet, was chosen late last year for their new home.

Critics are against any forced evictions.

They say the total national population of spectacled flying foxes, whose habitat is centred in Cairns, is only 15 to 20 per cent of what it was in 2004.

The conservationists are calling for a proper recovery plan.

There is no easy solution. Nick Dalton Deputy editor