WHERE did they come from? Where will they go? What's up with the bats? Well, find out at an upcoming show.
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And, this show will be in the form of a Bat Night at Kings Parade.
For two hours from 6pm, on Friday, March 15, Bathurst residents can attend the free, family-friendly event, for an evening of flying-fox fun.
Running from the popular spot in the CBD, the event will be held adjacent to Machattie Park, which has been closed to the public since November, 2023, due to approximately 5000 flying foxes roosting in the trees of the historic city centre.
Organised by Bathurst Regional Council in conjunction with other community groups, the night will aim to answer every possible question about the flying-foxes in our city.
Though, there are some questions which will remain a mystery to attendees.
One of these being, when will parts of Machattie Park be open to the public?
"Stage one tree remediation works have commenced within Machattie Park, however it is unclear if sections of the park will be able to open in time for the Bat Night," said council's manager for recreation Mark Kimbel.
What you can expect from the Bat Night
Though the park is still closed to the public, attendees at the Bat Night will be led along the footpath near Machattie Park, all to snag the best vantage points of bat activity at dusk on the evening.
"You can take a stroll on a guided wildlife tour of our seasonal flying-fox colony, to see the breathtaking moment when the flying-foxes take off at sunset," Mr Kimbel said.
Due to the higher volumes of the bats in our trees this year, council is also expecting high numbers at this year's Bat information session, and that's also because for the first time, numbers aren't capped.
"This is all so that members of the community who wish to discover more about these special native megabats can learn why they're so important for our Australian bushland forests," Mr Kimbel said.
"During the night, attendees will be informed of the secrets of flying-fox ecology and find out how these important winged creatures play a big role in our environment."
This will include information on why flying foxes are protected, why they are flocking to our trees, and why they are critical in ensuring the survival of our ecosystems.
And this will all be presented by someone who knows the best about bats - Dr Penny Eby from the University of New South Wales Centre for Ecosystem Science.
As well as soaking up the last few hours of sunshine and a whole bunch of knowledge, attendees are also encouraged to get dressed up and take a snap with flying-fox mascots that will be there on the night.
