27 August marks International Bat Night, an occasion that aims to celebrate these impressive creatures and raise awareness of the need for their protection. As an important part of the food chain, bats help with pollination, pest control and even seed dispersion. With over 1400 species of bats existing worldwide, we thought this was the perfect time to share a few more facts about what makes bats incredibly remarkable.
- They’re found almost everywhere. No, really. Only extreme deserts and polar regions are devoid of bats.
- The smallest mammal is the Kitti’s hog-nosed bat, also known as the Bumblebee bat that weighs only a few grams!
- Most bats hibernate but some species like the Spotted bat choose to migrate in pursuit of better weather and food.
- They have very few natural predators and the biggest threat to bats is actually natural disease.
- Bats give us several of our fruits and their pollination is responsible for bananas, mangoes, avocados, nuts, figs, and even cacao!
- They are nature’s only flying mammal and their wings are a lot like the webbing between our fingers.
- Bats clean themselves just like cats do and they also like to clean each other.
- A group of bats is called a colony and baby bats are called pups, with most species giving birth to one pup at a time.
- Bats are not blind. They do however use echolocation. There goes the saying, “as blind as a bat…”
- Some species are threatened due to farming, habitat loss and disease, making conservation more important than ever.
At Nambiti Hills Private Game Experience, we love getting to share every creature in the bush with our guests. Whether it’s your dream to see the Big 5 or spend a little time marvelling at the smaller, lesser-known species, we’d be happy to show you them all! Ready to plan your next escape at Nambiti Hills? Our reservations team are waiting to hear from you. Simply call +27 (0)31 333 6723 or email reservations@nambitihills.com To view our current special offers, click here: https://www.nambitihills.com/packages-and-specials/
