AUSTRALIAN native animals come in two main groups.
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The cute ones - the kangaroos, the koalas, the quokkas - and the terrifying ones, the sharks, the snakes, the spiders.
Somewhere in between, thought, is another icon of the bush - the flying fox, which most people believe is lovely in its environment, provided that environment is some distance away from civilisation.
The silent silhouette of fruit bats gliding in their thousands across the dusk sky is a familiar - and indeed appealing -site.
Sadly the park has lost much of its appeal as the bats have caused extensive damage to the trees and it's no wonder mayor Reg Kidd has called for their removal.
But for those who are forced to live in close proximity to a colony of shrieking, smelly and potentially disease-carrying bats, there is far less to like.
The Cook Park bats have been annoying nearby residents for weeks thanks to their loud screeching and overwhelming smell.
In fact it's now become almost impossible to spend anytime in the yards of nearby properties once the sun starts to go down for fear of the bats defecating from on high or dropping on top of your head.
While the organisers of FOOD Week's Sunday's Producers' Market and Brunch still managed to hold a successful event in Cook Park on the weekend, there's no doubt the smelly, noisy bats added nothing to the event.
In fact their residency caused organisers to stage their event in one of the only small sections of the park that didn't have bats hanging overhead.
There's little doubt that Cook Park is one of Orange's key autumn attractions and ordinarily it would be one of the places FOOD Week visitors like to spend their downtime.
Sadly the park has lost much of its appeal as the bats have caused extensive damage to the trees and it's no wonder mayor Reg Kidd has called for their removal.
At Tuesday night's Orange City Council meeting Cr Kidd said he wanted authorities contacted, including the Environmental Protection Authority, to call for their removal.
No doubt he'll not only talk about the potential health risks they are posing.
As Cr Kidd told the Central Western Daily "there's still the risk of maybe a small one falling out of a tree and someone getting bitten or scratched".
As for the "last resort" actions under the government policy - smoke, noise, water hoses and bright lights - none of these appear to have had much impact.
Can't help but agree with Cr Kidd and ask for the big guns to be called in.
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