Bats

I like bats. Many people have an irrational fear of them but I must say mine don't extend to bats funnily enough, considering I hate several winged creatures but all of the insect variety but I'm getting off the point. Bats are wonderful creatures. It's just amazing how they fly so quickly through the air eating flies. I really could do with having a bat or two at home to get rid of the mosquitoes that are driving me mad!

But why do I like bats? I think in part it's because they bring back fond memories of my early teenage years sitting on a low wall at the top of the road chatting to friends on the long summer evenings. Just occasionally we would hear the bats squeak or see them swoop past.

My first real experience of seeing them up close (and personal) was in the "Bat Cave" (I kid you not) at Morelia Zoo in Mexico. This is literally an underground cave that has been made especially for the bats. Now, I'm not too fond of zoos and had just gone along to keep my friends company but I was totally fascinated by the bats. Once you get accustomed to the dark you can see them interacting in their own environment - not really a natural one and it's quite small but interacting just the same. I was shocked by the way the were hanging from the ceiling and seemed to almost fall as they went to dive down to the fruit bowls. They would then pick up a bit of fruit which they could hold in their paws and hang upside down by one paw while eating with the other - almost monkey-like. Amazing! Some would perch on the edge of the bowl and peck at the fruit in a more bird-like fashion. I loved it and could have stayed there all afternoon.

There are loads of bats here in Wakayama. They start to come out a short time before dusk, once the sun has gone down. There are usually a few around our near our house. It took me a while to notice that the swallows seem to move on (roost?) late afternoon and are replaced by bats. If you don't look carefully you might not even notice the difference. The bats are a bit smaller but they fly in a very similar way to the swallows. I wonder how many breeds of bat there are in Japan. Anyway, what I like the most is that on our way to and from the gym we go past a litter river and there are always loads of bats flying all over the place. At times I wonder if one could actually crash into me, but I know it's highly unlikely. I've seen documentaries about how they use sonar or something to tell where they are going and not crash into anything. Something I've not noticed here is the noise - they don't seem to be making much noise, or maybe it's just too noisy around them and you can't hear them. I'll have to listen a bit harder!

August 2004