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The town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales, Australia has been overrun with thousands of noisy bats, enough for officials to suggest declaring a state of emergency.

See over 100,000 bats take over Australian town


Leeanna McLean
Digital Reporter

Friday, May 27, 2016, 10:51 AM - The town of Batemans Bay in New South Wales, Australia has been overrun with thousands of noisy bats, enough for officials to suggest declaring a state of emergency.

Over 100,000 grey-headed flying foxes have deterred tourists and caused power outages, leaving many residents trapped in their own homes.


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"We've had many residents complain they feel they're prisoners in their own homes, they can't go out, they have to have air conditioning on the whole time, windows closed," New South Wales Environment Minister Mark Speakman told ABC News. "[The circumstance] really amount almost to a state of emergency."

Grey-headed flying foxes are listed as a vulnerable species and cannot be culled. As a result, the bats set up a colony in the town several years ago and numbers have increased ever since.

On Tuesday, the NSW government announced an additional A$1 million in funding would be used to relocate the mammals on top of a previously committed A$2.5 million to manage the problem.

How will authorities get rid of them?

Local council has published a draft management plan with several approaches including, spraying down trees with a deterrent, bright lights, smoke combined with loud industrial noise and even using air dancing inflatables like the ones you see outside a car dealership.

“We have to wait and see what the council’s consultants advise on the best dispersal techniques,” local MP Andrew Constance told ABC.

“The community is desperate for any solution to be tried” -- Local MP Andrew Constance.

Grey-headed flying foxes measure up to 28 cm in length. They feed on pollen, nectar and fruit.

SOURCE: ABC

Watch more: What's being called a 'bat-nado' keeps happening here

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