Mount Etna Caves is a national park in The Caves,

Shire of Livingstone The Shire of Livingstone is a local government area located in the Capricornia region of Central Queensland, Queensland, Australia, to the immediate north and east of the regional city of Rockhampton. The shire, administered from the coastal to ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia, 544 km northwest of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

. The park's caves are the roosting site for more than 80 percent of Australia's breeding population of

little bent-wing bat The little bent-wing bat or little long-fingered bat (''Miniopterus australis'') is a species of vesper bat in the family Miniopteridae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vanuatu. Taxonomy The species was first descri ...

s. It is also one of the few places in Australia supporting a colony of the endangered

Ghost Bat The ghost bat (''Macroderma gigas'') is a species of bat found in northern Australia. The species is the only Australian bat that preys on large vertebrates – birds, reptiles and other mammals – which they detect using acute sight and heari ...

History

The Fitzroy Caves National Park was gazetted in 1973 with a focus on the protection of the bats rather than the caves. In 1990 it was renamed Mount Etna Caves National Park. In 1999 the park was extended to provide more protection to the caves.

References

National parks of Central Queensland Caves of Queensland Wild caves Limestone caves Protected areas established in 1994 {{Queensland-national-park-stub

History

See also

References