Flying foxes are considered the most important animal for the survival of our eucalypt and rainforest ecosystems. There are three species found in our region, and the largest colony is found at Kooloonbung Creek Nature Reserve. There are safety measures you can take to ensure you and your pets are kept safe if there’s a flying fox in your yard.
You can visit the Kooloonbung Creek Nature Reserve at the corner of Horton and Gordon Streets, Port Macquarie. There are walking paths that will take you through the trees where you’ll be able to spot the flying foxes.
At sunset you’ll often see the flying foxes leaving their camp in search of food and water. This is best seen from Kooloonbung Creek Nature Reserve, but you can also see them from many spots in the local area as the flying foxes travel a fair distance every evening.
Flying Foxes spread pollen and disperse seeds, and this process is crucial to the survival of Australia’s eucalypt and rainforest ecosystems. A single flying fox can disperse up to 60,000 seeds in one night. This process helps ensure the health of our native trees and forests, and many species of fruit-bearing trees.
The largest population of flying foxes in our region can be found at the Kooloonbung Creek Nature Reserve, where numbers can reach up to 20,000 during both autumn and spring and grow to 100,000 in summer. We manage this reserve to protect the welfare of the flying foxes and minimise the impact on nearby residents. Population counts occur quarterly as part of a National Census and extra counts are done throughout the year when camp numbers are noticeably changing.
Flying fox numbers have decreased due to loss of habitat and changing climate. The Grey-Headed Flying Fox is now classified as vulnerable to extinction under state and federal legislation, with an estimated decline of more than 30 percent over the last three generations.
Flying foxes are protected under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act.
We help protect these valuable species through activities such as:
The Friends of Kooloonbung Creek are a volunteer group who help look after the reserve with support from us. They help to:
These volunteers assisted with planting 150 Broadleaf Paperbark trees in 2020 to help with the regeneration of defoliated trees.
There are three types of flying foxes found in our region:
Flying foxes in your backyard:
Sickness from flying foxes:
Noise from flying foxes:
Smell from flying foxes:
If you find a sick, injured or dead flying fox:
We've created a map that shows the census data captured for the Kooloonbung Creek flying fox colony extent, and how that changes over time. To view the full-sized map, click here.
If you have any concerns about flying foxes, please contact us on 6581 8111 or email council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au
Take a virtual tour of the Flying Fox camp in Kooloongbung Creek!
Check it out
Learn more about our vitally important keystone pollinators via our Frankie’s Fan Club campaign page.
Local schools are able to hire for free a flying fox interactive resource kit to help your students learn about the vital role flying foxes play in the survival of our eucalypt and rainforest ecosystems.
The Hunter Joint Organisation has is intended to dispel some myths and help outline ways to co-exist with these incredibly important Little Aussie Battlers.