It is important that when we are in nature and come across wildlife, we exercise caution. If you come across injured wildlife, contact Townsville’s local wildlife carers and rehabilitation organisations and let the experts assist.
Wildlife are often more scared of you than you are of them. Stand your distance and look but don’t touch, throw objects or scare our wildlife. Townsville has an abundance of species living in the wild.
There are two types of flying-foxes in Townsville.
Little red flying-fox (Pteropus scapulatus)
Little red flying-foxes are the smaller of the two and mostly eat nectar. They visit Townsville as they travel up and down the east coast of Australia, kind of like “red nomads”. They come in small or very large groups and stay for a few months when their favourite nectar trees are flowering including in the highly valued Dan Gleeson Memorial Gardens.
Black flying-fox (Pteropus alecto)
Black flying-foxes are permanent residents and the largest and the most common type in this area. They stay year round, but move from camp to camp. Black flying-foxes love to eat fruit, pollen and nectar.
Flying-Fox Camp Locations
There are 8 permanent and at least 12 temporary flying-fox camps around Townsville. Dan Gleeson Memorial Gardens and the Palmetum are known hot spots.
The Flying-Fox Resident Roost Assistance Program (FFRRAP) will provide financial support to residents directly impacted by the flying-fox roosts within the Townsville Local Government Area (LGA). The program will assist impacted residents to alleviate the negative impacts to their property (e.g. increased noise and damage caused by droppings), associated with the seasonal influx of flying-fox populations.
The envisaged framework of the Townsville City Flying-Fox Roost Management Plan (TCFFRMP) is to guide the adaptive management of flying-fox roosts within the city of Townsville, providing a range of management options available to Council for managing flying-fox roosts on Council-owned land.
Program Update: Closed to New Applications
The Flying Fox Roost Resident Assistance Program (FFRRAP) has now closed due to all available funding being fully allocated. New applications are no longer being accepted. Approved applicants who still need to submit receipts must provide all valid remittance invoices and supporting documentation by 12 February 2027 for assessment and reimbursement.
Who Is Eligible to Apply?
Applications are open to residents of Townsville who live within 200 metres of the following flying-fox roosts:
Dan Gleeson Memorial Gardens – Thuringowa
Morstone Park – Annandale
Ring Road – Alice River.
Council has developed and published a list of eligible properties that meet the above criteria on its website. Proposed applicants should check their address is listed below prior to making an application for funding. Applications by residents who do not reside at an address listed on Council’s website will not be eligible to make an application. Applicants must ensure that they have read these guidelines prior to making an application for funding.
How Much Can I Apply For?
Eligible residents will be able to apply for a maximum of $3,000. Funding will be provided on a one-off basis and is not available for ongoing maintenance of services or installed items. Please note: Only one application per household is allowed. If the application amount equals less than $3,000 no further applications can be submitted for the remaining eligible grant amount. All applications are subject to the availability of funding and applying for funding is no guarantee funding will be approved. Should the program be oversubscribed; priority will be given to properties located within closer proximity to roosts. Council may award partial funding in some cases to enable a greater number of applications to be supported.
Eligible Items
Funding will only be available for items or services which will help manage impacts associated with flying-fox roosting behaviour.
Eligible items/services include:
air conditioners***
car washing costs
clothes dryers
clothesline covers
cost of external cleaning services***
cost of solar panel cleaning***
door and window seals***
external house cleaning products
external property lighting***
fragrance machine or deodoriser
marquees
perfume plants
pool or spa covers and cleaners
pressure washer (hire or purchase)
rainwater tank first flush systems***
roof paint repair***
sound proof curtains
tree trimming or removal***
vehicle covers
wildlife friendly netting
window double-glazing***
white noise machine.
Proof of purchase for eligible items must be in the form of receipts and for *** eligible items must be in the form of invoice remittance in the name of the applicant, purchased between 23 March 2026 and 12 February 2027. Failure to adhere, may result in no reimbursement.
Flying-foxes have had an impact on residents and their properties. These nocturnal animals are attracted to flowering and fruiting trees in suburban areas, creating noise disturbances whilst most active during the night. Residents often wake up to messes, faeces, and unpleasant odours.
The Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) recognises the important role local governments continue to play in managing issues around flying-fox roosts in urban areas. Under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, local governments in Queensland have an as-of-right authority to undertake roost management at flying-fox roosts in designated Urban Flying-Fox Management Areas (UFFMAs).
Outside an UFFMA, Council requires a flying-fox roost management permit (FFRMP), and a non-Council applicant requires a FFRMP irrespective of the location of the roost, which is available from DETSI:
Activities affecting the spectacled flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) and grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) may be subject to referral to the Commonwealth under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) in the event of likely significant impact.
All persons are authorised to undertake low impact activities at roosts in accordance with the Code of practice - Low impact activities affecting flying-fox roosts (PDF). Low impact activities include weeding, mulching, mowing or minor tree trimming. Operating outside of the code of practice is not authorised and may have legal consequences.
Management Activities
Townsville City Council undertakes the following roost management activities under the Code of Practice:
dispersal of flying-foxes
at Dan Gleeson Memorial Gardens into main flying-fox areas with the use of fogging, smoke and noise
from The Palmetum using fogging, smoke and noise
periodic cleaning
around flying-fox roost sites
of ponds and dams to provide a clean water source.
The two health concerns related to flying-foxes are Australian Bat Lyssavirus (ABLV) and Hendra virus. These are easy to avoid.
ABLV can be contracted from bites or scratches from flying-foxes
no touch means no risk
if you do touch, it means 4 needles will need to be administrated by Queensland Health
Hendra virus can only be contracted from a horse that has caught it from a bat. Humans cannot catch Hendra directly from flying-foxes. Regularly vaccinating horses protects both them and you from infection, and—depending on your provider—costs roughly the same as a shoeing.
If you have been bitten or scratched by a flying-fox seek medical attention immediately. For more information visit the Queensland Government Viral Infections website.
If you have found a sick or injured bat:
Do not touch the bat. Call North Queensland Wildlife Care on 0414 717 374.
ABLV is unlikely to survive on the external surface of a dead bat for more than a few hours. Dead bats can be disposed of in your general waste bin. Use a shovel and suitable gloves to minimise the risk of accidental scratches. If you are uncomfortable with this task, call council to assist.
Contracting any illness from a bat is rare. While ABLV and Hendra virus are the two main health concerns, bats can also carry other diseases.
For more information about bats and health, call Queensland Health on 13 HEALTH (13 432 584) or visit their website.
Snakes
Under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 snakes are a protected species. It is an offence to kill, injure or take snakes from the wild. If you are in need of a qualified snake catcher, visit Townsville Snake Catchers.
If you are bitten, call 000 and treat any bite or suspected bite immediately.
Snakes are spotted more frequently during North Queensland’s warmer months. As a Townsville resident it is important to keep your property tidy to minimise the chance of snakes finding a home on your property.
Top tips on how to keep your backyard tidy
maintain your lawn – keep it short (between 30-50mm in height)
have garden beds away from the house
stack timber neatly
put food scraps in closed compost bins
wear gloves, long pants, and covered shoes when gardening
lift objects so that they face away from you in case a snake is sheltering underneath.
It is important to be mindful if you are visiting one of Townsville’s many walking tracks. Here are some tips on how you can keep yourself and others safe while out and about:
always stay on the path
carry a first aid kit with pressure bandage
wear long pants and covered shoes
carry a torch at night to see where you are going.
Snakes generally react when approached or when feeling frightened, if you come across a snake the safest option is for you to leave them alone.
Birds
Townsville is situated on the coast of tropical North Queensland, Australia approximately 400kms south of Cairns and 1350kms north of Brisbane. The region is home to about 400 of Australia’s 800+ species of birds. With that many species to be found, the region is a bird watchers’ mecca. Some birds are quite rare and endangered, like the Black-throated Finch, however many are quite easily found providing you know where to look.
There are numerous birdwatching locations in the Townsville region. Eleven of the most accessible and diverse of those locations have been identified which provides residents and visitors a chance to see a good number of birds most common to the region.
To assist in identifying local birds BirdLife Townsville with the support of Council has created the Birds of the Townsville Region guide. This guide is available online for you to download or limited hard copies are distributed throughout local and regional information centres.
Birds need a home to live, breed, and bring up their families. This means food, shelter, water, and nesting sites, which are normally provided within their natural environments.
But what about in urban areas — you can take simple steps to assist our local birds?
Every year, Townsville City Council encourages local bird enthusiasts and nature lovers to become citizen scientists and to participate and represent Townsville in the annual Aussie Bird Count.
The initiative is run in partnership with BirdLife Australia and BirdLife Townsville.
Data obtained from the annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count for the Townsville LGA is published on Council's Townsville Dashboards site.
Data is vital for better understanding to increase environmental engagement among residents and can be used to inform land management decisions and monitor the success of tree planting efforts across the LGA.
Koalas
While you are exploring the natural wonders of Townsville, you may come across koalas, particularly on Magnetic Island.
If you come across a koala on your adventures, be sure to follow the below tips to keep them safe:
Koalas sleep for up to 20 hours each day to break down toxic Eucalyptus leaves – keep it slow and keep it down to avoid disturbing or distressing the koalas.
No selfies with koalas – disturbance and stress is bad for a koala's health. Respect their privacy and stay on the tracks.
When it's hot, koalas will often sit on lower branches or the cooler parts of the ground – please do not touch, disturb or give koalas water from water bottles.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes can have a large impact on our region's tropical outdoor lifestyle and on the health of the region's community due to their nuisance capabilities and the potential to transmit mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever, Ross River virus and more.
