A severe heatwave last week in south-eastern Australia destroyed over 80% of a 1,000-strong flying fox colony in Naracoorte, South Australia. Judith Bemmer from Bat Rescue SA called it "a devastating loss of numbers." Out of the 1,000 bats, only 180 survived. They rescued about 34 underweight and dehydrated babies, who will need months to recover. This heatwave followed a deadly one in January, which killed thousands in the region. Some spots saw fewer deaths last week; others fared worse. Tamsyn Hogarth, director of Melbourne’s Fly by Night bat clinic, said, "Unfortunately this is likely due to most of the vulnerable and young passing away in the previous heat events." In Melbourne's Brimbank Park, around 100 bats died last week after thousands were lost earlier. Nationally, thousands of bats have died since January as temperatures exceeded 42C, the threshold at which flying fox deaths rise sharply. In Victoria alone, a government update showed 1,700 bats died at several camps, about 5% of the state’s population. Grey-headed flying foxes, classified as vulnerable, remain hardest hit. The federal environment department highlighted heat stress as a major threat and is reviewing population monitoring programs. Volunteers, governments, and parks worked hard to reduce deaths. Rodney Vile from Victoria’s environment department said their priority is "reducing the risk of population collapse and supporting animal welfare wherever possible." In areas like Numurkah and Tatura, teams sprayed canopy mist and cooled bats with water. Lisa Palma, CEO of Wildlife Victoria, described the rescue work as "incredibly hard" and emotionally tough. In Adelaide’s Botanic Park, staff and volunteers limited deaths to a few hundred despite 44.7C heat by using sprinklers and misting bats. The park was closed to keep bats calm and conserve energy. No news came from smaller camps near Port Pirie and Port Augusta, where temperatures hit highs up to 50C. Caring for rescued bats is costly and demanding. Each bat needs about 350 grams of fruit daily. Bat Rescue SA feeds about 35 kg of fruit per day for the rescued bats. Bemmer said, "That’s a lot of fruit and a lot of money," adding, "That’s ongoing past the heat event... the biggest struggle starts for us – the financial struggle."