Bats and other wildlife are sometimes caught in loose netting thrown over backyard fruit trees. Thin nylon netting causes particularly horrific injuries because of the torniquet effect of the nylon. Ripening fruit can be protected with 30%shadecloth covers, or knitted netting that is strained rather than loose, and preferably extending down to the ground. Bats can get caught if allowed to get up inside a net.

We get very few rescues from netting but in other parts of Australia it is a big problem. Anyone using netting needs to monitor their trees every morning incase of entanglement and have a rescue number handy.

A good website to go to for advice on netting is Kuringai Bat Society. They have been very active with this issue as a lot of rescues are done in Sydney each year. Louise Saunders from Brisbane has also been very active and the link below features her illustrations.

http://www.epa.qld.gov.au

http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

Photo: Mike Jupp