Go Batty in the Bundu at Ngwenya Lodge 

The most interesting group of small mammals at Ngwenya (and the  Kruger National Park) as well as the most important with regard to the predation of night flying insects are bats.  Research elsewhere has shown that certain species of insectivorous bats are capable of   consuming  in the region of 1000 mosquito sized insects per hour!   Did you know that these high tech marvels of the night skies comprise almost a quarter of all the mammal species in the Kruger National Park?   

Unfortunately, over the millennia bats have become the victims of superstition and myth.  It's easy to understand why.    Firstly, they are somewhat strange in appearance resembling something like a cross between a bird and a rodent.  Secondly,  like many other nocturnal creatures such as owls and hyenas they have been associated with witchcraft and the spirit world.   Bats have become a symbol for countless horror tales and films and this stereotyping has molded and reinforced the commonly held perception that bats are something to be feared and avoided.  Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. 

What kind of bats are there?

Bats can be divided into two basic groups, namely:

1.      MEGA BATS  - predominantly fruit eating bats or flying foxes

2.   MICRO BATS  - predominantly insect eating bats making up about 70% of all bat species.  

South Africa has 4 species of fruit eating bats and 52 species of insectivorous bats. 

Angolan free-tailed bat

Enjoying the spectacle of Angolan free-tailed bats emerging from a bat house. 

Sundevall's leaf-nosed bat
The 2^nd most common species of insectivorous  bat  at Ngwenya is Sundevall's leaf-nosed bat.  This fluffy clutter feeder has broad wings which enable it to fly slowly while hunting  for insects in and around dense vegetation. 

Sundevall's leaf-nosed bat

Sundevall's leaf-nosed bat mother with  baby at Ngwenya

Banana bat
Weighing in at between 3 and  5 grams,  the Banana bat  is  the smallest  species of bat found at Ngwenya.  During the day these tiny animals roost in the unfurling leaves of banana and Strelizia plants.

Banana bat in an unfurling leaf of a banana plant 

Mauritian Tomb bat

Long narrow wings of a Mauritian Tomb Bat with almost transparent wing membrane

Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat
In addition to insectivorous bats, larger handsome fruit bats such as Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat can be seen roosting at Ngwenya.  Their distinctive pinging calls can be heard  after dark.  Fruit bats play a key role in dispersing seeds.  In fact More than 300 species of plants in tropical Africa and Asia rely on bats for pollination and seed dispersal.

Most species of figs rely on fruit bats for seed dispersal and studies have shown that a single bat can transport and disperse up to 60 000 seeds per night, including those of valuable timber trees.   In certain parts of tropical Africa seeds dropped by fruit bats have been shown to account for up to 95% of forest regrowth on cleared lands.  

Colony of  Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bats roosting at Ngwenya Lodge

  
Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat mother and baby 

Dr. Merlin Tuttle examines a Komatipoort Bat House

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