MAITLAND City Council plans to chop down bat roosting trees in the suburb of Lorn have been stopped by an ecologist’s report.
State environment department officials approved earlier this month the trimming, lopping and removal of 23 trees on condition that an ecologist monitor Lorn’s bat camp.
After four observation nights, the ecologist found “a number” of the female grey-headed flying foxes were heavily pregnant and likely to give birth within a few days.
Removal of habitat at this stage of pregnancy, and soon after birth, would cause an unacceptable level of stress and pose an unnecessary threat to the species as it was likely to kill a high number of unborn and young bats, the report said.