'Bat-nado': A colony of screeching bats has been keeping some Aussie diplomats in PNG up at night
The usually bright skies above an Australian government staff housing complex in Papua New Guinea have been intermittently growing dark in recent years, as hundreds of bats swarm above the compound.
However it isn't the sight of the bats that has disturbed the diplomats, but the sound.
Their screeching has sent residents reaching for the ear plugs and the complaint forms, with several people saying they couldn't sleep because of the noise.
The colony started visiting around five years ago, and the ABC understands concerns began being raised with Canberra soon after.
Large numbers of bats are seen flying above DFAT housing in Port Moresby in 2019. (ABC News: Natalie Whiting)
When they're not circling the skies, the bats take up residence in a tree next to the accommodation complex, which overlooks Port Moresby's Fairfax Harbour.
One diplomat, who used to live in a unit that was particularly close to the bats, briefly stayed at a friend's place to escape and get some sleep.
"It was incessant when they were there," they said. "It was a lot."
Australians who go to work at the High Commission in PNG are provided with accommodation as part of their posting. The Australian government has compounds to house them, which contain a series of apartments and recreational facilities.
Unfortunately for the High Commission, the tree that is seemingly so irresistible to the bats is on the wrong side of a fence line.
The bats have been attracted to a tree in a neighbouring yard. (ABC News: Natalie Whiting)
It's in the yard of a neighbouring property, and the ABC understands requests for some very heavy pruning were rejected.
"The noise was unbearable," another person who lived in the complex said.
'Bat-gate' sees staff exit for remediation work
There had been some frustration about a lack of action on the issue, but the response from Canberra has now come.
The government has spent more than half a million dollars installing double glazed windows in the compound.
The expensive new glass wasn't the first option.
The Australian government considered several tactics at the apartment complex, before settling on installing double glazed windows. (ABC News: Belinda Kora )
The initial response focused on ways to try to deter the bats including installing lights, sonic sound devices and sprinklers, but they were deemed not viable.
In some Port Moresby circles, the swarm has been referred to as a "bat-nado", and the impact on, and response from, the High Commission staff as "bat-gate".
One local businessperson described the diplomats as "soft", and said they suspected the bats were used as an excuse by some to get moved into "more upmarket" apartments.
"Just like the bats, this all has a bad smell to it."
Replacing the window glass, which has taken place as part of broader refurbishment work including painting units and installing new security mesh, started last year and was completed this year.
Some of the residents stayed put during the work, while others were moved into different government accommodation facilities.
While the fix has arrived, the bats haven't. Not as many anyway. Reports from Port Moresby are that visits from the colony haven't been as frequent or intense recently.
There's no definitive reason why, but the bats' visits are linked to their annual migration period, so perhaps they have another favourite haunt for the time being.
But when the bats do return, hopefully the diplomats' insomnia now won't.