This item from one of the southern tabloids should add a bit of spice to
the cannon-netting debate. What it demonstrates is the need for extreme
care when researching wildlife.
_______________________________________________________
Mistake kills bat colony - NPWS faces penalty
[ News Ltd. The Daily Telegraph · Feb 9 ]
By: SIMON BENSON
MORE than 1700 endangered native bats have been killed by National Parks
and Wildlife Service officers and a contract scientist during a research
experiment that went horribly wrong.
The Daily Telegraph has learned it happened in Willi Willi Nature
Reserve near Kempsey on the north coast.
It is believed researchers blocked off the entrance to the bats'
roosting cave and they died from distress.
The dead bats included the common bent-wing bat and the little bent-wing
bat -- both listed as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Act ? and
the eastern horseshoe bat, which is a protected species.
It is possible the entire population of eastern horseshoe bats was wiped
out as they rarely congregate in colonies larger than 200.
``It is a large number of animals to be killed in one incident,'' an
NPWS source said. ``It is a big worry''.
The NPWS has kept the incident -- which happened four weeks ago ? a
secret until now.
An independent investigation has begun into whether the NPWS should be
prosecuted under its own legislation.
Fines upwards of $200,000 or 12 months' jail are the penalties for
anyone found guilty of killing an endangered species.
An Animal Ethics Committee has now appointed independent investigators
to look into NPWS procedures for such work.
A spokesman for the NPWS confirmed the incident happened in mid-January,
claiming 1700 bats out of an estimated population of 200,000 had died.
Asked whether it was possible the NPWS could be prosecuted under its own
laws, the spokesman said the ``legislation applies to everyone''.
``The incident happened during some research and obviously something
went wrong,'' the spokesman said.
``The researchers are very distressed about it ... they are taking it
very badly.''
Source: The Daily Telegraph
Publication Date: 09-FEB-2001
Page: 009
Edition: 1 - State
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