Silent Protectors

Do you notice anything strange about this picture? I did not notice anything either at first. It is our staff room at school, and I sit there on a daily basis waiting for my next class period. In fact, I am sitting in the room right now typing this blog. I would hear an occasional squeak, but I thought it was probably just the ceiling fan or a wayward cricket. One of the other teachers noticed me looking around after a particularly noisy squeak one day, and he said that it was bats. I really did not think that was the case. How could bats be behind those pictures? The pictures sit flush against the wall, and they are only about an inch thick. He proceeded to climb up on a chair, and tilted the picture out away from the wall. Sure enough, there were several bats clustered behind the picture. He gently let the picture go back against the wall and shrugged his shoulders. We have bats back in Indiana, but they are generally viewed from afar as they are darting about in the night catching insects. It is a rare occasion for me to see one up close in a roosting position. I am sure they are all around me at home, but I am just too oblivious to notice. It was a real treat to see them huddling behind the picture though- waiting for night to come, so that they could begin their hunt for insects.

It made me think about the benefits that bats do bring to India and the people living here. Yes, bats can carry disease, with rabies being one of the most feared. They can make a mess with their feces, which may also prove to be a breading ground for disease and harmful bacteria. I think the benefits outweigh the detriments though, and we are fortunate to have them. I am no bat expert, but I have seen two types of bats during my short stay in India so far. The smaller bats, like the ones in the staff room, tend to eat insects. This is a great benefit, as people are much more likely to contract an insect born disease here rather than a disease from the bats. These insect borne diseases are a constant problem in India, and they include malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya fever, and Japanese encephalitis to name a few. Mosquitoes are a constant problem in India, and there is really no cold winter in most parts to provide total relief from the danger they present. The bats do a nice job of helping to naturally control the insect population- eating up to 3,000- 7,000 insects in a given night, and in turn the diseases that come with them.

The second type of bat that I have seen is a much larger bat- reaching lengths over a foot long, and it is a fruit bat. When we are running in the morning, they can be seen flying along the river to get back to their trees before the sun comes up. Yes, they do eat fruit, but I think the pollination process that they help facilitate more than makes up for the fruit that they eat. It would be a very expensive and time consuming process for farmers to pollinate their fruit trees, so I am sure they are willing to pay the bats in fruit for the service they provide.

It has been an interesting learning experience for me. It is something that I have seen on National Geographic shows, but it has now become an up close reality for me. It makes me wonder what other things are all around me, but I have just never taken the time to notice……