The Life of Brian … and David: Two Flying-Foxes' Contribution to Science

Area of Science:

• Veterinary science
• Wildlife ecology
• Animal welfare research

Background:

• Scientific studies often involve capturing and tagging wildlife.
• Assessing the welfare impact of research procedures on animals is crucial.
• Long-term data on the effects of telemetry devices on flying-foxes is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the welfare effects of thumb bands and surgically implanted transmitters on free-living grey-headed flying-foxes.
• To determine if these research devices negatively impacted the survival and health of the study animals.

Main Methods:

• Two wild male grey-headed flying-foxes were captured, tagged with thumb bands, and surgically implanted with body temperature transmitters.
• Body temperature data were collected post-release.
• The animals were monitored for several years until their natural deaths.
• Necropsies were performed on both individuals to assess health and potential device-related issues.

Main Results:

• One flying-fox survived for 6.5 years and the other for 5.3 years post-procedure.
• Necropsy findings suggested negligible impacts from the thumb bands and implanted transmitters in both individuals.
• Physiological data collected over time did not indicate significant adverse effects.

Conclusions:

• Based on these two case studies, thumb banding and transmitter implantation appear to have had minimal negative welfare effects on the studied grey-headed flying-foxes.
• Long-term data from telemetry-equipped wildlife, though limited in scope from few individuals, provides valuable insights into the welfare implications of research methods.