Bob Johnson has tried everything to keep fruit bats away from his orchard. The Queensland, Australia fruit grower is so frustrated by bats eating his crop that he has even resorted to playing his bagpipe among the trees in an effort to scare the bats. Nevertheless, he has managed to harvest only 3,975 lbs. of fruit this year, compared to 36,327 lbs in an average year. He wants to be allowed to shoot the bats, but the government says he should cover his trees with netting instead.
The Johnsons are angry, arguing that the State Government is bending over backwards to appease environmentalists whose supporters last year successfully lobbied to stop orchardists from shooting bats.
And the couple has been backed by Independent federal MHR Bob Katter, who said the state should let orchardists apply his crocodile control system and "shoot them".
"Even the most brainless greenie would have to say it is not unreasonable to cull flying foxes that carry diseases that can kill humans," Mr Katter said.
Link - via coldmud
Photo: David Martinelli
Uncle Joh Bjelke Petersen was so sick of the pooftahs and liberals and greenies and dagos coming to Queensland he decided to build a 20 foot wall around the whole state.
All the other States in Australia volunteered to help.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joh_Bjelke-Petersen
Please! Quoting Bob Katter? Can you spell 'fascist fruitloop'?
And yes, yet another bloody Australian lifeform that can kill you. LOL.
Anyway, it's not helpful to shoot the bats. It doesn't teach them to stay away and depressing the population makes them susceptible to extinction. Does Bob Johnson want the bats to go away entirely? I believe he deserves a solution, because his business matters, but it should not come at the expense of bats. I mean, come on, they're bats. They don't know any better.