Mythicised as the creatures of darkness, feared and loathed, bats are small mammals. But they are such unique mammals that scientists have placed them in a group of their own ? the Chiroptera, which means ?hand-wing?. All living bat species fit into one of the two major groups, the Microchiptera and Megachiroptera.

The latter group are also commonly referred to as flying-foxes because of their fox-like faces. The common names for fruit bats in India is the Indian flying fox or the Pteropus Giganteus.

Bats are natural predators ? like birds, fish and other insects ? that feed on mosquitoes and they play an important role in reducing insect-borne diseases. Although no single approach to mosquito control is appropriate for all locations, encouraging these natural defences should be made a part of the long-term control.

But an increase in fruits bats? population, is positive because of yet another reason. Fruit bats enrich the forest cover by seed dispersal and pollination of flowering shrubs, herbs and trees in the Saranda Forest in West Singhbhhum.

Colonies of fruits bats that have been nesting in various region of the Porahat forest division also a part of Saranda. More than half-a-dozen camps of fruits bats have been found in Sonua railway station in the district.

These nocturnal mammals play a significant role in maintaining the ecology. Many fruits and vegetable plants found over the state would not have existed without the process of pollination where fruit bats play the role of the catalysts. While hunting for their own food bats disperse seeds and pollinate the flowers of many plants such as jack fruit, guava and banana.

Indian fruit bat, also a close cousin of the Egyptian variety, is protected under the Schedule-V of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, but the creatures have a high mortality rate because of hunting and changes in climate. Of late their population has dwindled to a further in various parts of the country, including Jharkhand.

Divisional forest officer of Porahat forest division (Southern Circle) D. Venkateshwarlu said the presence of fruit bats in certain forests areas help maintain forest ecology. ?The bats mostly eat fruits found in forest areas. Bandgoan block in the district is rich with fruits of all types. They are found in large numbers there,? Venkateshwarlu said.

These fruit-eating large bats tend live in large colonies in various forest ranges of the Porahat forest division of district. Male and female bats live together for months and like humans they, too, give birth to poorly developed young and nurse them. In fact Linnaeus, father of modern taxonomy was so moved by the similarity between bats and primates (lemurs, monkeys, apes and humans) that he originally put them in the same taxonomic group. Today, scientists agree that primates and bats share a common shrew-like ancestor, but belong to separate groups. Fruits bats, like other bats, have long webbed finger that serve as the wing and have a stronger sense of smell compared to other species.

?Credit for boosting the growth of different fruit bearing trees goes to these bat. The species has been living for decades in forest areas and as a result is responsible for pollinating various trees,? Venkateshwarlu explained. Fruits bats are hunted frequently because of their meat. Fortunately, the colonies of bats still survive in this pocket because of two major reasons ? favourable habitat and protection by villagers from poachers.

?This is the reason that army of fruits bats found in north western part of the district.? Venkateshwarlu added.

Anupam Rana