Heat stress management for captive fruit bats in temperate-zone facilities requires active cooling, shading, and behavioral monitoring to prevent welfare compromise during warm weather.
Fruit bat heat stress management is a seasonal welfare emergency risk for temperate-zone facilities that requires proactive preparation before summer conditions arrive. The heat events that kill wild flying fox colonies — entire roosts of thousands of animals dying within hours during extreme heat — demonstrate the severity and speed of thermal welfare crisis in this group. Captive facilities that house flying foxes must have heat emergency plans including cooling infrastructure, veterinary monitoring protocols, and staff training that do not depend on improvisation during the crisis. Welfare-centered aviary management treats heat stress prevention as a core safety system, not an optional comfort measure.