Plans to Protect Flying Foxes From Being Shot and Killed Are Reversed Under Pressure From Lobbyists
- by: Care2 Team
- recipient: Government of Queensland, Australia
Flying foxes, a type of large bat, are under fire in Australia... literally. The government in Queensland is giving people permission to continue shooting and killing flying foxes. These animals have just as much right to live as any of us - this is their habitat, and they shouldn't be punished for that!
Sign the petition to demand that Queensland outlaw the shooting of flying foxes!
Queensland had previously planned to ban the shooting of flying foxes in July 2026. But some bloodthirsty farmers lobbied the government hard, demanding the right to continue putting bullets in wildlife. But these large bats are actually incredibly important for the ecosystem around them, helping to spread seeds, pollinate plants, regulate insect populations, and reduce the spread of diseases.
Shooting flying foxes doesn't even make sense. If farmers are worried about the wild animals eating their crops, many much more effective - and non-lethal! - options exist. Many other farmers in Australia are already using humane options like wildlife-friendly netting, and they've proven how successful those methods are.
Killing these animals won't actually deter other animals from coming by. So are the farmers planning to kill every single wild animal until there are none left? Some species of flying foxes in Australia are already listed as vulnerable to extinction, or even critically endangered.
Even worse, gunmen tend to shoot flying foxes at night - meaning they could easily make a mistake by thinking they're aiming for a flying fox, when really it's a pet or child. They could even miss and accidentally hit something or someone else.
Sign the petition to demand that the government of Queensland, Australia return to its original plan and ban the shooting or hunting of flying foxes! These animals did nothing wrong - they don't deserve to be massacred! Sign PetitionSign Petition