Bats have caused extensive damage to trees in Cook Park, leading mayor Reg Kidd to call for their removal.
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Cr Kidd said he was fed up with the damage and would ask Tuesday night's Orange City Council meeting to write to the Environmental Protection Authority, or other relevant authorities, to call for their removal.
"The damage that has been done to the trees is unbelievable," he said.
Cr Kidd said he attended the Sunday Producers' Market and Brunch in Cook Park and was shocked at the situation. The markets were held in a corner of the park away from the bats.
We've been tolerant, we've done the right thing, but now we need to move them.
- Orange mayor Reg Kidd
A large colony of bats moved into the park last month after an earlier migration to trees on Ploughmans Lane.
He said the bats' presence was stopping families using swings in the park, as well as posing health risks.
"There's still the risk of maybe a small one falling out of a tree and someone getting bitten or scratched. The bats are causing havoc," Cr Kidd said.
VIDEO: The bats making their home in Orange ...
"I am going to see if we can put a letter to the EPA. We have to seriously look at some way of removing them. It is our feature park. It is used for so many things."
He said he was concerned the bats could cause permanent damage to the trees.
Cr Kidd said he was worried future Australia Day events might have to be moved out of Cook Park if the bats continued to return.
"If they got the bats out of the Botanic Gardens in Sydney then we've got to look at some way here," he said.
"We've been tolerant, we've done the right thing, but now we need to move them."
NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Services' bats expert Storm Stanford said council should wait until the bats left due to food shortages and cold weather rather than paying for dispersal attempts.
"The majority of dispersals are not totally successful. They are not very effective and it's expensive," she said.
"Often the bats will leave and move to areas where you don't want them to be like trees at schools, churches and in backyards. When it's time for the bats to leave they will leave."
Ms Stanford said trees often suffered more damage during dispersals, as the bats landed regularly, damaging the bark and leaves.
She said the dispersal from the Botanic Gardens was not as successful as publicised as the bats had established a camp in Centennial Park and were already leaving.
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