State swelters under worst conditions since Black Saturday; fire threatens Great Ocean Road; Melbourne tipped to crack 45 degrees

People are barred from parts of Yarra Bend Park today, but the area is still a hive of activity and noise as a colony of bats and native birds seek shelter from the heat in treetop sprinklers.

From a distance, thousands of bats appear to be shivering, but they are instead flapping their wings close to their body to promote airflow and stop overheating, which can lead to death once temperatures soar above 40 degrees.

About 90 per cent of a 10,000 strong grey-headed flying fox colony at Kew are expected to fly through “rain curtain” sprinklers, which are spraying water droplets up to 30 metres through the park.

Many babies have stayed behind at the colony’s home close to the Eastern Freeway, which does not have sprinklers. About a dozen specialist workers including veterinarians and vet nurses are on hand to rehydrate animals in need.

Significant bat deaths are an “ever present risk” on hot days like today, Parks Victoria ranger team leader Tim Carver said.

“They hydrate by dipping in the river and licking the water off their fur,” he said.

“When they get super hot, they will start panting like a dog through the mouth, but it’s less effective than the flapping alone.”

It reached 39.1 degrees at a weather station at the park under cloud cover at 3pm. A Parks Victoria instrument that indicates “feels like” temperature for animals hit the equivalent of 54 degrees.

Officials have declared a wildlife emergency so sections of the park with bats are shut to the public, but it has still attracted plenty of other visitors.

“We found that the irrigation system draws in kookaburras and Australian noisy miners and various parrot species,” Carver said. “They’ve now learnt that there is water available.”