Researchers stressed long-term conservation concerns for vulnerable species and called for stronger wildlife rescue systems and resilience planning.

A heatwave reduced food supply by stressing bats and drying nectar sources from eucalyptus, with heat stress and dehydration driving high mortality, especially among mothers and pups.

Wildlife Victoria and partners expanded emergency response, including a mobile veterinary service to key colonies, amid concerns that national wildlife rescue infrastructure is insufficient.

Experts warned that flying foxes act as ecological indicators, signaling broader stress from ongoing extreme heat events and climate change.

Estimates place deaths in the thousands across Australia’s states—roughly 1,000 to 2,000 in South Australia, many thousands in Victoria, and up to 1,000 in New South Wales—reflecting a widespread toll.

Grey-headed flying foxes, already listed as vulnerable, were the hardest hit, with volunteers recording thousands of carcasses at camps such as Brimbank Park, Yarra Bend, and Tatura.

Public rescue efforts saved dozens of pups clinging to dead mothers, but many orphans face death without sustained care, underscoring the strain on volunteers and the wildlife veterinary sector.