This is the Indian Flying Fox in a roosting position - a photo took in Delhi. The Indian Flying Fox is one of the largest bats in the world. Generally, they feed on fruits and the nectar of flowers.
As April 17th is International Bat Awareness Day, we are sharing this poem about them.
BATS AND THEIR THOUGHTS
'It is difficult to see most of us in flight,
We prefer the security of the night,
Being the only mammal that flies,
Please don’t believe in horror stories which are a bunch of lies,
Mammals of the order of Chiroptera; our family is known as the Bats,
We are not creatures that haunt you in hordes,
Some of us prefer fruits and some prefer insects,
The Vampires in our group are harmless compared to mosquitoes,
For centuries we were targeted as horrific beings,
Needless to say we are victims of unscrupulous means,
Hunted for years in fear that was conjured upon us,
Now even blamed for this man-made Covid fuss,
With wings and weird faces we may look different,
Our flipped resting pose is not that abhorrent,
Most of us prefer the darkest corners for our own safety,
That doesn’t mean we are accomplices for the ‘Evil forces’ that are crafty,
Don’t treat us as ill omen,
It is us who suffer most by the sight and deeds of men,
Some of us pollinate flowers and propagate seeds as nature’s assigned endeavour,
While some control the insects and finish as much as they can devour,
Please don’t freak out if you see us near your apartment,
We do a lot of help to you and the environment,
Of course we are wild animals; who don’t like to be disturbed or handled callously,
We fight only for our self-defense otherwise we will cohabitate peacefully,
We were evolved for a specific purpose,
Which we accomplish with diligence,
So next time when you meet us just remember,
We are simple beings and allies from a different order,
Don’t fall prey to some imaginary follies,
Be brave and save us from the aftermath of such terror stories…'
-Nishand Venugopal
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