On reaching the office on July 3, 2024, I noticed my colleagues gathered anxiously on the lawn. Their eyes were fixed on the fig tree nearby for rescue bat operation. Curious and concerned, I joined them, only to be struck by a tragic sight before us.
Helpless Witness to a Winged Distress in Need of Rescue Bat Operation.
A large, injured bat hung from a branch, with one of its wings bleeding profusely. Crimson splatters stained the ground beneath it, a grim testament to its suffering. I couldn't bring myself to look at the blood-soaked earth, nor could I meet the gaze of the creature, whose eyes silently pleaded for relief. It was a heartbreaking scene—an innocent life in visible distress, and we stood around, unable to offer the help it so desperately needed rescue bat operation. The helplessness of that moment still lingers with me, a painful reminder of how fragile and vulnerable even the wild can be.
Rescue bat operation By 1122:
Having no other alternative, we called the Rescue 1122 team. Luckily, they reached the spot for rescue bat operation on time. It rescued the bat, gently coaxing it into a container and took it with them for treatment and safe return to its habitat. It was, indeed, an act of kindness rarely seen here that emphasized the importance of animals’ safety and their proper care. It also gave me a deep insight into the lives of bats and their role in our ecosystem.
Negative Attitudes Towards Bats:
Bats are a socially stigmatized group, misperceived and even hunted. The uncharismatic animals are surrounded in mystery. They are feared and loathed as sinister creatures of the night. People often have negative attitudes towards them due to ignorance, fear, and myths or beliefs.
Many people consider them harmful pests for harboring rabies or other diseases, though less than one percent of bats have rabies and most of them avoid contact with humans. They are also believed to carry diseases or ectoparasites, like mites, ticks, chiggers and fleas. Others despise them as an environmental mess for attacking fruit orchards in clouds and inflicting damages.
Importance of Bats in Ecosystem:
The different attitudes towards bats may help in understanding human attitudes towards wildlife, which is an essential element in the success or failure of a conservation initiative, policy or practice. However, bats are vital to the health of our environment and also our economy. They play pivotal roles in ecological communities and benefit humans in numerous ways.
These gentle and intelligent flying mammals have an important ecological and economical role. The majority of them eat night-flying insects, including agricultural pests. As primary predators of these insects, they play a significant role in controlling insect populations.
Estimates have shown that some bats eat more than 70% of their weight in insects each night, and some pregnancy females 100% of their body weight. The insectivorous bats prey heavily on insects that transmit diseases or are crop pests. They also play a crucial role in pollinating plants by dispersing seed. In addition, bats' guano (feces) are often used to fertilize crops. Reportedly many tons of guano are mined each year from the caves, where bats aggregate in large numbers.
Evidence continues to accumulate in support of the immense economic benefit of insectivorous bats for the agricultural industries worldwide. Frugivorous bats promote the diversity of fruiting trees in the tropics by dispersing seed. Pollen and nectar eating bats are important pollinators, and some plants they pollinate are economically important to humans, such as Agave and bananas (Musa).
Types of Bats: Habitat and Food Habits
Mythically-understood, bats are common flying mammals. There are even more myths about them than any other wildlife. I recall a childhood myth in our area that drinking water in the wing of a bat makes one intelligent. They live in large social groups in caves, trees, and even the human-made structures such as bridges.
Reportedly some types shelter in burrows, termite nests, or even in flowers or giant spiderwebs. They are found almost everywhere around Swat Valley. They particularly live in a large number in Sind Police Line near the Swat River and around Matta Bypass. They can be divided into two major groups,
the mega bats and the micro bats. Mega bats are medium to large in size, and micro bats are smaller in size. They eat mostly insects and fruits.
Possible Solutions to Save Bats:
Given the importance of bats, conservation initiatives are imperative to reverse and rebuild damaged populations. The reversal of habitat loss is key to saving them. They should also be saved from harmful tourism activities in bat caves. Moreover, use of bat boxes in forests and gardens may be encouraged.
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