Firstly I suggest you find out how this deadly hendra virus is transmitted to people rather then just try and make excuses.

Secondly where were the bats located before moving in to occupy Burdekin Park if they were not already there. Could it be that the reason they have taken up residence in this park is because the council or some other authority has removed their original habitat? How about people start taking responsibility for their actions and start finding a suitable location for the animals to be relocated to!

Is the council also suggesting that they would like to shoot an animal that is listed as vulnerable in the conservation listings. Good one folks you definitely would win my vote. Not

No Bats, no forests

please as a bat carer i plead with you all there must be another way dont cull them they have babies and are loveing careing mothers,we dont go to your homes and cull you because there is not enough water think about this you will kill our forest if you kill our flying foxes..............

These bats are verging on being an endangered species,so of course humans, who should be in the roll of protectors of other species,will do everything they can to push them to extinction.You are concerned about losing the trees, but if we continue to wipe out bat habitats,therefore wiping out bats,we will very soon be seeing a loss of forest so significant that we will be having concerns for our own mortality.Without flying foxes,there will be no regeneration of forest trees, and our motto will become - no bats, no trees- no trees , no me!! It is about time that we took our roll as the dominant species seriously, and started to ensure that all other species that we are co-dependant upon, will survive for our future,instead of just worrying about the little picture, and spoiling a few weekend days in the park.Also,on the subject of viruses carried by flying foxes,yes, there is a risk to humans,but you need to be bitten or very deeply scratched to be infected, and such a small percentage of bats actually carry these viruses ,and the only way to be bitten is to pick them up , and surely there have been enough scare tactics in the media,that everyone should be aware of this.Oh,and despite recent events on halloween night,bats do not attack people.There would have been a logical explanation for what happened!So please think about the big picture, and be careful how you destroy whats left of our planet's future.

Lyssa virus is transferred via saliva when someone is bitten or scratched, not via exposure to urine or faeces.

An understanding of bats and their role in ecology as well as a long term strategy for living with these animals would be of more benefit than killing them.

I was shocked to hear tht you may begin shooting flying foxes in your area. Please, please, please consult with (Bat Care Brisbane Inc (ph: 07 33211229) and other care organisations for a better solution. We need bats for the long term health of our environment!!!

Humans should be ashamed of themselves. These highly intelligent creatures are starving from the drought and have enough pressures from development destroying their habitat without "bat-haters' getting on board. These poor animals have had some bad press by ignorant minded people, when in actual truth they are only a minor health threat with only 1 death caused by lyssa virus. These creatures are a vulnerable species and it is their faeces that spreads the seeds to build forests. Instead why not encourge them to move on by planting a flying fox food forest planted strategically to allow the bats to feed and roost away from ignorant humans. Costs would be minimal and all work could be carried out by bushcare volunteers who do appreciate these wonderous little creatures

Research shows that culling bats does not reduce the size of a camp as they are members of a colony which occurs across three states. Removing some adults through culling will simply create a vaccuum for other individuals to fill, having been provided with space to roost and reduced competition for mates and food.

The work done in the Royal Botanical Gardens of Melbourne shows that a camp may be successfully relocated by using noise and light as deterrents, whereas shooting had no impact on camp size. The Melbourne RBG colony is now settled at a new location where they are becoming a tourist attraction.

While it is unlikely that the NSW State government will approve the use of lethal force, words being used by people like Les Shilton will only serve to scare people into thinking there is a chance they will be infected by a virus. The only people to become infected by lyssa virus have been a few authorised bat handlers, and those contracting hendra virus did so through contact not with bats but with horses. There is NO danger to the community.

The only danger is that by killing the bats, this endangered species will become less viable and as they pollinate native tree species they are vital maintaining overall forest health. If non lethal methods were effectively applied sooner there wouldn't be a problem.

It is good that the local community groups have other locations to have their picnics and recreation.

For the bats it's a matter of life and death. They are losing their home and their lives.

Have a heart and share your territory.

The article 'Bats must go' (9/11/07) is short-sighted and parochial. Grey-headed Flying Foxes numbers are in severe decline throughout their range due to loss of habitat. They are now scheduled as Threatened in NSW legislation. The trees in Burdekin Park may be 120 years old, while the flying foxes are nearing the end of tens of thousands of years of evolution - heading for extinction by the actions of people.

The only person to die from a disease carried by Flying foxes was bitten when handling a sick bat. This is the only way to catch something from a bat. So leave them alone and remain safe.

Finally, the timber industry is dependent on flying foxes which do most of the pollination of the trees in our forests. Without bats, there will be fewer seedlings to replace those trees harvested by the industry.