Grey headed flying foxes could be a drawcard to Rosalind Park in the future according to City of Greater Bendigo manger of parks and open space Paul Gangell.
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But periodic population explosions pose a risk to the park's historic trees.
The city has commissioned consultants to develop a management plan for the park's grey headed flying foxes, to balance the colony's needs with protection the historical attributes of Rosalind Park.
Mr Gangell said Rosalind Park was home to a "pretty manageable" number of flying foxes, about 2000.
Numbers have swelled to as much as 20,000 at their peak.
Flying foxes first moved into Bendigo in 2010.
Conservationist Peggy Eby attributed the presence of flying foxes in Rosalind Park to habitat loss in Queensland and NSW, which forced the animals to travel in search of food.
Just 15 years ago there were just two flying fox colonies in Victoria, at Mallacoota and in Melbourne, Dr Eby said.
The animals always temporarily travelled during food shortages created by normal climate variation, such as El Nino, Dr Eby said.
It's only recently that they've begun to stay put further afield.
"It used to be that during these periods of acute food shortage the animals would use these behaviours they'd developed ... during the time of the food shortage and then they'd come back to their normal distribution and their normal range and their normal food," Dr Eby said.
"During the past 15 years ago they've started remain."
Mr Gangell said the city's bat management plan was about finding a balance between protecting the historical attributes of Rosalind Park while allowing the flying foxes to remain in the fernery.
Read more: Network defends Bendigo's bat population
Grey headed flying foxes are protected as a threatened species under federal legislation, which means the city is limited in what actions it can take to manage the animals.
Numbers tend to rise significantly every three years.
When this happens flying foxes can damage the cuticles and end tips of the trees, eventually causing them to die.
The management plan will put forward strategies for the city to use when numbers swell, so that the animals don't spread throughout the park.
Mr Gangell said the management plan was a positive way forward to improve understanding of the grey headed flying fox.
"They're more of a drawcard for people using Rosalind Park, and hopefully we might be able to capitalise on that in the future," Mr Gangell said.
"A lot of people actually go through the park and the fernery and are inquisitive about the bats, we see this as a great opportunity to improve an understanding of why the bats are there."
Dr Eby will speak in Bendigo about restoring the habitat of flying foxes and migratory birds on Sunday March 31, from 2.30-3.30pm.
More information available at: biolinksalliance.org.au/peggyeby
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