Bendigo Advertiser calls for destruction of bat colony

CSI poses the question "Whats really going on here?" A very good Question indeed! The article at www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/general/bats-happy-to-stay-put/1938753.aspx May shed some light, the link states in part; “There is no recorded history of flying foxes visiting Rosalind Park, so it’s not possible to predict when they will leave……….Heavy rain in New South Wales and Queensland had destroyed their usual food sources………This influx of flying foxes into central Victoria is very rare.” I have pondered since their arrival why these bats have chosen the City centre to roost in rather than surrounding Bushland, perhaps they enjoy the convenience of public transport, the nightlife, cafes or the shopping opportunities. CSI naively suggests ‘… large tracts of bushland surrounding Bendigo has been cleared and they now have far fewer places to congregate’ showing little knowledge of Bendigo bushland or the fact that these critters don’t usually live in the Bendigo region. Seems some locals luv’em, some hate’em, many don’t really care. I know little about the creatures but suspect they probably prefer the exotic trees in the park to the local box/ironbark forests to roost in. I expect they will move on when there usual habitat returns to normality. The debate regarding their removal is probably no more than a tempest in a teacup stirred up by people with too much time on their hands, and too little enjoyment in their lives.

From another perspective it is interesting to note the Editorial tampering with the original title of CSI’s Comment (September 22nd, 2010) to alter a legitimate musing "Whats really going on here?" and present an unsubstantiated statement (implication of fact) in its place. No evidence and evidently no clue either. Fanciful, ignorant, alarmist comments presented as fact without the slightest hint of any first hand knowledge or research into the facts are nothing more than a total waste of time, space and effort. Learning to differentiate between opinion and fact is a valuable skill. Acquiring such skill would often negate the need for arguments such as the ridiculous bat debate that is currently receiving attention in the Bendigo paper.