Staff at Potoroo Palace have been at the forefront of these rescue operations and working closely with local wildlife groups.

Flying foxes naturally prefer eucalypt blossom and rainforest fruit, but due to humans removing increasingly more of their preferred feeding places, they are forced to resort to orchards and backyards for feeding.

One of the main reasons there have been so many injuries is due to the type of netting people are using and the loose style in which it is draped over trees.

Eight of the 11 rescued recently were from netting and two from barbed wire.

Entanglement in backyard netting is likely when trees are fruiting.

This is the time for making daily checks regardless of the netting chosen.

Entanglement threatens other native wildlife too, such as birds, possums, snakes and lizards.

If you find an entangled animal, do not attempt to release it, but cover with a towel to help calm it and call a local wildlife rescue organisation.

Information on how best to net trees with wildlife safety in mind can be found at Potoroo Palace and through various other organisations.

The worst type is dark-coloured nylon known as “Anti-bird Net”.

Animals can find this hard to see and the fibres are so thin that they cut through the skin of entangled animals.

Backyard netting entanglement may be contributing to 10 per cent of the known, human-induced decline of the grey-headed flying foxes in NSW, already a vulnerable native animal.

There are currently nine un-releasable flying foxes already residing permanently at Potoroo Palace, each with their own unique rescue tale, all very happily ensconced together in their beautiful home and easily seen by visitors.