{"id":9263,"date":"2025-04-06T19:58:01","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T19:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/?p=9263"},"modified":"2025-10-22T01:02:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T01:02:17","slug":"wild-tobacco-and-ticks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wild-tobacco-and-ticks\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Tobacco and Ticks"},"content":{"rendered":"[mk_page_section bg_image=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sff2-banner.jpg” bg_position=”center center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” enable_3d=”true” min_height=”500″ js_vertical_centered=”true” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” section_id=”donate” el_class=”donate-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”70px”][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none” align=”center”]TICK FATALITIES IN SPECTACLED FLYING FOXES[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”67″][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789112768{padding-right: 36px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_left”][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”15″ visibility=”visible-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”visible-tl”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” el_class=”terrain-title-2″]PARALYSIS TICK SEASON LEAVES HUNDREDS OF SPECTACLED FLYING-FOX PUPS ORPHANED[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”60″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″ visibility=”visible-nb”][vc_column_text el_class=”sub-head” css=”.vc_custom_1743710589474{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]8 APRIL 2025[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1743710959016{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]This year\u2019s paralysis tick season has taken a devastating toll on endangered Spectacled Flying-foxes, leaving more than 300 pups orphaned on the Atherton Tablelands.<\/p>\n

Jenny Mclean, director of Tolga Bat Hospital, said tick paralysis affects Spectacled Flying-foxes every year between October and December, but this season has been particularly severe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe worst-hit area was along Peterson Creek in Yungaburra, where more than 560 pups and 500 adults were found dead or in need of rescue,\u201d Ms Mclean said.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, tick season coincides with birthing season, but we can\u2019t detect bats affected by tick paralysis until they fall from trees. Most cannot be treated and need to be euthanised.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile many Australian wildlife species have long developed immunity to tick paralysis, it appears to have only started affecting flying-foxes in the past 40 years. It\u2019s an agonising death for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

For nearly 30 years, Tolga Bat Hospital has been rescuing paralysed bats in Spectacled Flying-fox camps and tracking birth abnormalities. One of the key factors influencing tick paralysis rates is the prevalence of wild tobacco, an invasive weed.<\/p>\n

To help address this issue, a new project led by Terrain NRM to support Spectacled Flying-fox recovery, is mapping wild tobacco on the southern Atherton Tablelands to guide weed control efforts. The project also includes funding for Tolga Bat Hospital to improve data collection on tick-related fatalities. The four-year project is funded by the Australian Government\u2019s Natural Heritage Trust program.<\/p>\n

Project Coordinator Evizel Seymour said Spectacled Flying-foxes primarily forage on native fruit and nectar, but they are also drawn to fruiting wild tobacco bushes, which host paralysis ticks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWild tobacco is not only a threat to flying foxes \u2013 it’s also toxic to humans and livestock,\u201d Ms Seymour said. \u201cThis invasive weed thrives in disturbed or cleared areas, including roadsides. It impacts agriculture \u2014 particularly grazing \u2014 due to its toxicity to cattle, and it attracts Spectacled Flying-foxes towards farms to forage on the weed\u2019s fruits.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789122720{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 34px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_right”][mk_padding_divider size=”206″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1743710919952{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\"\"<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1743710950482{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Project Leader Dr Andrew Dennis said Terrain NRM is delivering several initiatives aimed at aiding the recovery of the endangered Spectacled Flying-fox.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese flying-foxes play a crucial ecological role as long-distance pollinators and seed dispersers\u201d Dr Dennis said. \u201cTheir population has been severely impacted by several cyclones and an extreme heatwave event in the last decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cClimate change remains the biggest threat to the Spectacled Flying-fox, but to support population recovery after major heatwaves, we need to address as many sources of mortality as possible. That includes tackling tick paralysis, habitat degradation, and threats like barbed wire fences.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section el_class=”grean-btn-sec” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”47″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_button dimension=”outline” url=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/what-we-do\/biodiversity\/” align=”right” el_class=”green-btn” outline_skin=”custom” outline_active_color=”#175137″ outline_active_text_color=”#ffffff” outline_hover_bg_color=”#175137″ outline_hover_color=”#ffffff”]Read More[\/mk_button][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1-blog” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”105″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”right” el_class=”terrain-title”]RELATED NEWS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” id=”post_grid_filter_1″][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”grid_greate_3″ css=”.vc_custom_1743711316392{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

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