Bat bins, sprinklers in place at WOMADelaide as heatwave sparks fears flying foxes will fall to the ground

Extreme heat forecast for the long weekend has WOMAD organisers wary of fruit bats falling from the sky, prompting warnings and the installation of bat bins and sprinklers.

WOMADelaide organisers have installed bat bins on the festival site in Botanic Park with Adelaide’s looming heatwave expected to “impact” the species.

But animal authorities have urged festival goers to keep their distance and not handle any bats that might fall to ground.

Event director Ian Scobie said WOMADelaide has worked closely with Adelaide Botanic Garden and Adelaide University experts to manage the growing colony of grey headed flying foxes, which largely reside near the festival’s Speakers’ Corner.

Mr Scobie said the bins are not in public areas and not for use by patrons of the event.

Dedicated bat bins will be onsite at WOMAD this year. Picture: Stacey Lee

There are fears some grey headed flying foxes in Botanic Park will succumb to the heat and drop to the ground. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Brenton Edwards

“If a bat carcass is on the ground, a trained member of staff with appropriate PPE will dispose of the carcass into one of the bins ‘back of house’ as they need to be handled carefully and not by the public,” he said.

Last year, at least five cases of the potentially deadly Australian bat lyssavirus were detected in SA.

Mr Scobie said a sprinkler system will be used to cool the bat colony down over the weekend, with temperatures set to rise over 35C across the festival’s four days.

Temperatures of 37C or above are forecast across all four days of WOMAD. Picture: Michael Selge

The colony of grey headed flying foxes in SA now numbers about 60,000. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

“The sprinkler systems can and will be turned on if necessary and we find with our advisers that the colony are stressed because of heat, then the Botanic Gardens can use sprinkler system which would run in between sets,” he said.

Fauna Rescue of SA chairperson Marie Kozulic said Botanic Park’s colony of grey headed flying foxes – a threatened species – has almost doubled in recent years to over 60,000 since arriving in Adelaide in 2010.

“The heat on Saturday may have an impact on the colony and we would like to advise the public that Fauna Rescue along with the University of Adelaide will have vaccinated volunteers on site,” she said.

“They will be monitoring the colony and able to assist with any flying foxes that succumb to the heat. We ask the public to not touch any bats if they come to ground.”

Instead, Ms Kozulic urged festival goers to call Fauna Rescue on 8486 1139 or alert a WOMADelaide staff member.

More than 70 acts from 40 countries will perform at this year’s WOMADelaide music festival, which kicks off on Friday and continues until Monday.