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Bats

Bats. Nearly a third of bats now carry Hendra: researchers July 30 th Brisbane Times.com.au.

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Bats

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  1. Bats Nearly a third of bats now carry Hendra: researchers July 30th Brisbane Times.com.au

  2. Bats often get a bad rap. People fear them because of myths and superstitions about vampires and the spread of disease. However, there are only three species of vampire bats out more than a thousand other species of bats, and they do not really suck blood. Bats are relatively resistant to disease.

  3. Bats are nocturnal. At night they hunt, using a form of sonar called echolocation that helps them catch prey by using high-frequency sound waves to locate their exact position. Bats consume many insects, such as mosquitoes, that we consider pests. Some bats catch and consume up to 2,000 insects per night. Bats help keep crops, flowers and fruits free of pests. Read more:

  4. Bats are an essential contributor to the world's rainforests, and their numbers make up over 50 percent of the rainforest's mammal population.

  5. Almost one third of Queensland's bats are now infected with the Hendra virus, more than four times the normal rate, new tests reveal. Brisbane Times July 28 2011

  6. Brian White, an agricultural scientist who runs an equestrian centre in Brisbane's semi-rural Moggill, said Queensland's overpopulation of bats had triggered the high Hendra infection rate.Read more:

  7. Studies done during the current incidents indicate that up to 30 per cent of flying foxes are carrying the virus," a Biosecurity Queensland spokesperson confirmed. • "Normally the infection rate in Queensland flying fox colonies is around seven per cent."However a bat infected with Hendra doesn't necessarily carry enough of the virus to pose a risk of passing it on to a horse or another animal.

  8. However Dr Field said culling was "doomed to failure" and described the current situation as an "abberation" triggered by low food and stressed bats.Mr White disagreed, saying the breeding population had reached a tipping point. • Mr White disagreed, saying the breeding population had reached a tipping point. • "We are probably looking at a [bat] population of three times the 2007 year, combined with a massive food shortage caused by the cyclones and the floods," he said.

  9. Bat experts agree the creatures are very nomadic, with little red bats favouring flowering eucalypts as foods, while black and grey species prefer fruit-growing regions. • Yesterday, it was announced Hendra virus research funding would be increased by $6 million over the next three years. • The extra funding will allow scientists to study bat populations at night, using infra-red cameras, Premier Anna Bligh said. • Meanwhile, Brisbane City Council said it would wait for advice from the Department of Environment and Resource Management before deciding to allow vegetation to be cleared, as suggested yesterday by Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman. • On June 30 Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the emphasis needed to be on finding a human vaccine for Hendra virus.

  10. What do you think: • Should they be moved on to another area? • Should we cull the bats now? (reduce the population) • Should they all be killed? • Should we do more research first?

  11. What are the issues to consider? These points are ‘against’ the bats: GET RID OF THE BATS: • In ancient times, indigenous people knew how to control populations of animals. • Allowing bats to proliferate on fruit trees in urban and food-production areas to the point of overcrowded colonies is hardly natural. • We should consider the welfare of all animals, not just the bats. • Reducebut monitor the population of the animal that transmits the virus, and then all animals can live in harmony. • The welfare of the general population needs to be put ahead of bats. These points are ‘for’ the bats: KEEP THE BATS: • Bats are needed to ensure native forests continue to flourish. • They pollinate as they fly and feed. • If bats have always had it, why has it only appeared in the past 10 years? • You don’t just kill something because it frightens you. • There needs to be more investigation into why the Hendra virus has appeared. • The solution is to understand the disease and live around it. • Horse owners need to be vigilant about where their animals feed and drink. • For and against arguments appeared in Courier Mail, 29th July, p.34

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