A GREY-headed flying fox pup that spent two days clinging to its dead mother on electricity wires at Caringbah is being cared for by wildlife volunteers after residents staged a daring rescue.
Rachel Bishop, of Caringbah, said that after six unanswered calls were made to Ausgrid to help the pup, residents decided to act.
"We had to take matters into our own hands. We got a long PVC pipe, (raised it up to the wires) and down he came. He is all safe and well in the carers' arms," Ms Bishop said.
She said each time the pup's plight was raised with Ausgrid, the caller was told someone would be out within six hours to help, but no one came.
"My kids said 'I can't believe they haven't rescued him yet'," Ms Bishop said.
"Sometimes we have to stop and think and see it from a child's point of view, Ausgrid."
An Ausgrid spokeswoman said six reports were received about the pup, which was stranded on a power line in Saunders Bay Road, but no one was sent because staff in the region were not appropriately vaccinated.
"It is important that anyone handling flying foxes or bats is vaccinated against the lyssavirus before attempting to touch them," she said.
The spokeswoman said Ausgrid was arranging vaccinations for line workers in the southern region willing to have them.
But she said the vaccinations were not mandatory for staff.
The spokeswoman said it was very dangerous to attempt to rescue an animal from power lines.
"Power lines carry electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week and anyone going so close to the power lines with any type of object is putting their life at risk," she said.
It is not shaping up to be a good season for grey-headed flying foxes, which are listed as a vulnerable species.
The Royal Botanic Gardens is continuing its campaign of noise blasting to discourage the animals from roosting there.
Unprecedented numbers of the flying foxes were counted at Wolli Creek last month.
Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) eastern suburbs flying fox co-ordinator Storm Stanford said far greater numbers of flying foxes were being found dead on electricity wires this year.
She said about five babies were brought into care every day.
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