Contribute by Cutting Down Cocos Palms

If you’re wondering how you can contribute in a real, practical and important way to the Australian environment and native animals, please consider spending your money or time cutting down your cocos palms. Cocos palms are responsible for the death and injury of thousands of flying foxes and other native animals each year. (For more info on this topic, please see related articles in the Conservation section of my blog.)

How do cocos palms injure and kill flying-foxes?

• Cocos palm seeds, when eaten green by starving flying-foxes (September to January) are toxic and will poison them
• Sticky palm fruits can cause severe constipation, which causes dehydration and death in younger animals
• Toes get caught in the cocos palm flower sheaths, causing self-mutilation trying to escape and too often death
• Whole body or body parts get caught in the strappy frond leaves of cocos palms, which are easily shredded by claws, creating a ‘cocoon’ effect around the animal, further distressing it and death if not physically rescued
• Young animals get cocos seeds caught behind their canine teeth, causing a slow death by starvation
• Premature wearing down of teeth due to flying-foxes chewing the hard seeds – rescued wild flying-foxes who appear young too often have extremely worn, missing or no teeth. Even if they don’t starve, their lives are greatly shortened (the last cute little lady I cared for had no teeth, despite not being so old – it explains why so many starve)
• Flying-foxes, in vital their seed dispersal role, also spread cocos palm seeds in native bushland and around properties
• Since the drought of 2006-07, flying-foxes have learned to ‘go to ground’ to eat seeds dropped from cocos palms, which increases dog and cat attacks considerably. Calls to Bat Rescue Brisbane reveal at least one dog attack on flying-foxes everyday – that’s just reports we hear about and just in Brisbane. There may be hundreds killed daily Australia-wide. Dogs that kill a bat usually develop the habit and kill more. Bats killed also include babies, or babies may be left to starve to death when their mother is injured or killed
• Cocos palms planting near barbed wire or netting increases the chances of flying-foxes being caught, injured and dying

Remember: NO PALM – NO HARM

If you find an injured or sick flying fox or any bat, please contact the Bat Rescue Hotline urgently on 0488 228 134 and for more info please visit www.bats.org.au