7th -13th April, 2001

 · Kerryn Parry-Jones, Letter to BATLINE. 7th April, 2001

Well they've started. Since Friday reports have come in that dead flying-foxes have been seen still clinging to branches in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. Presumably WildPro collect and dispose of the bodies that fall to the ground before the Gardens opens each morning. Meanwhile the count at the Gardens has fallen from 12,500 to 10,000. Whether the drop means that 1,000 or so animals have been shot or that a majority has migrated to southern NSW with the rest of the Melbourne bats is unclear as absolutely no information is being released by the authorities.

 · Lawrence Pope, the President of the Humane Society for Animal Welfare, 10th April, 2001. Ph. 9384 0340; mob. 0416 22 86 96; Fax 9384 2008

Regarding the culling..... we suspect they trialled shooting three bats with silencers but were surprised when they didn't fall from the trees... its going to be very difficult for the RBG to kill substantial numbers of Greys without us knowing and acting... we are on the ground 24hrs/7days... I think other options for the Gardens are firming ie: the Temby Plan (Ian Temby Dept Natural Resources and the Environment) this is a plan to sumultaneously create sanctuaries along the Yarra while slowly reducing the attractiveness of Fern Gully in the RBG... the Greys favorite roosting site.... also the Phoenix bat wailer is looking good as a device to keep the bats off the heritage listed trees etc... we are working hard behing the scences and will maintain our vigil at the Gardens until we are sure the greys are safe.... also Anzac day is coming up and everyone - including us - would like to be gone by then... our vigil is just across the road and would make for unattractive footage... I'II keep you posted...the main thing now is to urge the Gardens to adopt the Temby plan and to take a long term approach to this issue rather than `blaming the victim`... thanks to all.

 · Bats fall from the sky - shot as they fly. Press Release. 11 April 2001. Glenys Oogjes. Animals Australia

 · Press Release: Please help Melbourne's Flying-foxes by sending your condolences to those that have already been killed. 11 April 2001. Glenys Oogjes. Animals Australia

Tomorrow Thursday, 11 April, Animals Australia will be laying flowers and wreaths at the gates of the Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens as a mark of sympathy to the many Flying-foxes that have been cruelly shot in a misguided attempt to reduce damage to a few trees.

The ceremony will take place at 2pm at the Observatory gate on Birdswood Avenue. If you would like to participate in the event, please bring your flowers/wreaths along with your message of sympathy to the Observatory Gate prior to the ceremony.

If you are interstate or unable to attend, Animals Australia can arrange a posy on your behalf. Please email us at animals@melbpc.org.au BEFORE 12 noon tomorrow. Send us your email message in large print, along with your pledge to cover the cost. We will then purchase a posy on your behalf and attach your message to the bouquet. Cheques (made payable to Animals Australia) can then be mailed to us at PO Box 1023, Collingwood 3066. -but this is not nearly as important as getting your message to us by noon tomorrow!

Please help us show the gardens that Australia has great compassion for these animals and are grieved by the cruel act they are committing.

 · Follow up letter. 12th April. Glenys Oogjes, Animals Australia

We have just got back from the gardens after a very worthwhile ceremony for the dead bats. We had about 30 people there, and many, many more floral tributes to the bats - we got messages from the UK, USA and all around Australia - all in less than 24 hours. The media was a little light - AAP, ABC radio, Channel 10 news, Herald Sun newspaper, and Radio News Network.

We read out many of the messages, and some were very moving. Before we left we took the wreaths down to Fern Gully and left them there, leaving many of the flowers at the entrance with their attached printed messages for Gardens visitors to see. When we left an hour or so later they were still there.

Phillip Moors and other Gardens management suits came to look from time to time. The Security Guards kept their distance, even when we strung the AA banner onto the opened gates.

The flowers made a lovely sight - such a contrast to what goes on in Fern Gully at night. A point we made of course. the bats seem to be dispersed further across the gardens - probably their reaction to the nightly activity in Fern Gully.

List of condolence messages recieved by Animals Australia at the ceremony

 · Experts to hunt for bat home. The AGE. 12th April. Claire Miller.

 · Scientists devastated at carnage in Botanic Gardens. Press Release. Nicki Markus. Australiasian Bat Society, 13th April.