Going batty in Perth
Apr. 22nd, 2006 01:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seandcFans of the bat may be interested in this...
No, not him, I mean the kind that fly!
This article appeared in the new Intersector (the Public Service magazine) about a colony of bats found in a suburb of Perth (unfortunately in a far northern suburb, since I'm in the south).
Text and pic appear under here:
Batty accommodation?
One of the largest known roosting colonies in Perth of the Gould's Wattled Bat was found in late February in the suburb of Padbury on top of a high voltage power pole. A concerned local resident identified the bat colony and contacted Western Power.
Western Power Networks CEO-designate, Mr Doug Aberle said "We were concerned about whether the resident bat colony would affect the local community's electricity supply so we engaged a zoologist to investigate."
Dr Mike Bamford went to the Padbury site and witnessed 33 Gould's Wattled Bats disperse from the metal mounting bracket near the top of the pole. Dr Bamford stated the roost site is potentially the largest found in the Perth metropolitan area.
Bats are meticulous in choosing a roost site. There are many power poles in the area, but this roost site was chosen by the colony of Gould's Wattled Bats over all potential sites in the street because it faces north, making the roost warm, and is close to local bushland with a reliable food source.
The Gould's Wattled Bat is one of only 10 native bat species in the south-west of Western Australia and has a diet limited to insects, including beetles, caterpillars, crickets, moths and mosquitoes. Their maximum body length is a mere 75mm with a forearm measuring 45mm. They weigh 10-12g.
The Department of Conservation and Land Management also advised Western Power of the vulnerability of the bat species, its roosting sites and feeding grounds.
"We investigated the electrical issues and determined that the spacing between energised equipment was large enough to accommodate the small wingspan of the Gould's Wattled Bat therefore preventing disruption to the community's electricity supply and protecting the bat from electrocution," said Mr Aberle.
Mr Aberle was delighted to confirm that Western Power will not disturb or remove the roost as the bats pose no threat to local power supplies.
Source: Intersector Volume 12, Number 3, 19 April 2006, page 29
http://www.intersector.wa.gov.au/article_view.php?type=current&article_id=192&article_main=35
No, not him, I mean the kind that fly!
This article appeared in the new Intersector (the Public Service magazine) about a colony of bats found in a suburb of Perth (unfortunately in a far northern suburb, since I'm in the south).
Text and pic appear under here:
Batty accommodation?
One of the largest known roosting colonies in Perth of the Gould's Wattled Bat was found in late February in the suburb of Padbury on top of a high voltage power pole. A concerned local resident identified the bat colony and contacted Western Power.
Western Power Networks CEO-designate, Mr Doug Aberle said "We were concerned about whether the resident bat colony would affect the local community's electricity supply so we engaged a zoologist to investigate."
Dr Mike Bamford went to the Padbury site and witnessed 33 Gould's Wattled Bats disperse from the metal mounting bracket near the top of the pole. Dr Bamford stated the roost site is potentially the largest found in the Perth metropolitan area.
Bats are meticulous in choosing a roost site. There are many power poles in the area, but this roost site was chosen by the colony of Gould's Wattled Bats over all potential sites in the street because it faces north, making the roost warm, and is close to local bushland with a reliable food source.
The Gould's Wattled Bat is one of only 10 native bat species in the south-west of Western Australia and has a diet limited to insects, including beetles, caterpillars, crickets, moths and mosquitoes. Their maximum body length is a mere 75mm with a forearm measuring 45mm. They weigh 10-12g.
The Department of Conservation and Land Management also advised Western Power of the vulnerability of the bat species, its roosting sites and feeding grounds.
"We investigated the electrical issues and determined that the spacing between energised equipment was large enough to accommodate the small wingspan of the Gould's Wattled Bat therefore preventing disruption to the community's electricity supply and protecting the bat from electrocution," said Mr Aberle.
Mr Aberle was delighted to confirm that Western Power will not disturb or remove the roost as the bats pose no threat to local power supplies.
Source: Intersector Volume 12, Number 3, 19 April 2006, page 29
http://www.intersector.wa.gov.au/article_view.php?type=current&article_id=192&article_main=35
