A recent review found that our current understanding of the effectiveness of intervention methods for reducing flying-fox mortalities during extreme heat events is mainly anecdotal rather than based on scientific studies.
Read A review of intervention methods used to reduce flying-fox mortalities in heat stress events.
There is research underway to guide best practice for helping flying-foxes during extreme heat events. Therefore the guidance provided here is likely to change with new findings.
It's important to note that human presence in a camp at such times can increase the stress and activity levels of the flying-foxes and potentially lead to greater harm.
Can we predict heat stress events?
To help wildlife carers and land managers prepare for and respond effectively to flying-fox camps affected by extreme heat events, a team from Western Sydney University and the University of Melbourne have developed the Flying-Fox Heat Stress Forecaster. The forecaster predicts the camps where flying-foxes are likely to experience extreme heat up to 72 hours ahead.
The forecaster is being continually improved by ongoing research.
Read Forecasting wildlife die-offs from extreme heat events.