Did you know that bats are essential to our ecosystem and helpful to our daily lives?
There’s nothing to be afraid of.
According to National Calendar Day, they rid our world of many unpleasant insects, such as mosquitos.
Imagine, bats can eat 1,000 mosquitos in just one hour.
Bats are important to our world.
That is why every 17th of April, the world is honoring these creatures through International Bat Appreciation Day and there are groups of people who are passionate about raising awareness for bats.
On the Dodo Channel, they featured the Indian flying fox named Statler and his caretakers in Bat World Sanctuary.
Statler is 33 years old.
Statler was kept in a small space and used to educate people.
He was born at the zoo in 1987 and has been moved from different facilities many times in his life.
But in 2018, he arrived at Bat World Sanctuary to have his well-deserved happy retirement.
Statler lives with other bats.
But Statler is the oldest bat among them at the age of 33 years old.
At first, Statler had trust issues, so much so that they couldn’t cut his nails, which were the longest they’d ever seen on a bat.
But eventually, Statler started to trust the caretakers and according to them, it is one of the best parts of their journey as caretakers.
His caretakers want to give him the best life by providing him with daily fruits and some exercise.
Due to a lot of injuries, the caretakers need to guide and support him as he spreads his wings.
They even help him “fly”.
By doing these activities for Statler, the Bat World Sanctuary hopes that Statler remembers his younger years when he could fly high and free.
But Statler is a sweet buddy.
Whenever he is outside sunbathing, he will linger in the arms of his caretaker and will just fall asleep.
Unusual to see but it really happening with Statler.
Bat World Sanctuary is the largest sanctuary for bats in the world.
They are helping mistreated bats and rescue them from the exotic pet trade, zoos, and research facilities.
Statler is an Indian Flying Fox.
According to Animalia, Indian flying foxes are so-called due to their fox-like appearance with large eyes.
Indian flying foxes have a frugivorous diet that includes insects as well as flowers that contain juice and nectar.
Figs are their favorite fruit.
They also eat mango, guava, bananas, and other cultivated fruits.
In the video, the caretaker excitedly shares that Statler is with his friends, Starlie and Chessie, that gather every morning like a meeting.
They are unquestionably living their best lives at Bat World Sanctuary.
Bats have so many roles in our ecosystem but one of them is helping pollinate and disperse the seeds of many plants, according to research by the National Science Foundation.
Bats serve as a spreader of different species of cacti that only open their flowers at night, when bats are very active.
So next time you see a bat flying in the night sky, make sure to be kind to them.
See how much fun Statler has living at Bat World in the video below!
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