Bat sanctuary to hold first night viewing

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

THE Monfort Bat Sanctuary is set to hold the first ever night viewing of migratory bats in Barangay Tambo, Babak District, Island Garden City of Samal.

Dubbed as the Bat Emergence Night Tour, the viewing of the bat will start at the nightfall of February 8, 2012, which will fall exactly on the first full moon of the year 2012, according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

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The event is still part of the Year of the Bat celebration supported by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), EUROBATS, and Bat Conservational International, which formally started last year.

The Bat Sanctuary, a home to millions of bats, is a current world record-holder of having the largest colony of fruit bats in the world.

Norma Monfort, owner of Monfort Bat Sanctuary, said the objective of the one-night event would be to raise awareness about bats, which are often misunderstood by many, emphasizing that these night creatures should not be feared of.

During the celebration, guests will be entertained with a reggae band, fire dancers, and even more the bats themselves said to be migrating temporarily to Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, and Davao Oriental every night.

“At 6:00, they start migrating. Bats follow the circadian flight. It’s a manner where bats emerge while whirling in an orderly fashioned way. That the moment you see it you are really convinced that bats are not harmful and they won’t harm you,” she said, adding that while the migration is in progress, visitors will not be allowed to take photos so that flashes won’t destruct the bats.

She also invited entrepreneurs to come over and participate in its 1st “BATtianggee”.

“The BATtiangee allows the vendors, resort owners to join the fair for free,” Monfort said, adding that she’s hoping the event will run successfully.

The event is still in line with the Chinese celebration of the Year of the Dragon, which already started on January 23, and to be concluded on February 6.