Flying Fox

By Hannah

While walking through the forest, we suddenly looked up and there they were, thousands of huge Fruit Bats. We were told that on this trail we would see some bats, but we had no idea we would see hundreds of “Flying Foxes” with bodies the size of a cat and a 1 metre wing span!

We drove to a creek at sunset and hiked in to look for the bat colony. Hundreds of bats were hanging from branches, stretching, screeching and getting ready for their night adventure. It was fascinating to watch them wake up.

We walked back to the start and stood on a bridge waiting to see them take off. Eventually two left, then five more, and the number of bats kept growing until about 100 flew off the trees at the same time. It was like watching a horror movie, except these bats eat only fruit, which helps to pollinate plants and spread seeds. It was an amazing night and I would love to see them again.