As it gracefully soars through the air, the majestic golden-crowned bat, whose wings are as big as Tom Cruise’s, is a truly amazing sight. Its slim and hairy body highlights the magnificence of its wingspan.
Stretched black cape-like wings give it an intriguing resemblance to a magical vampire when it roosts and seeks refuge.
Despite its intimidating size, this megabat is a gentle animal that has no tendency to harm or be hostile to humans. It feeds exclusively on fruits.
Due to human encroachment on their natural habitat and illegal poaching for sport or food, they now unfortunately face the sad reality of extinction.
These amazing beings captured the attention of people all over the world through viral images, inspiring both interest and dread with their fantastic size and predatory appearance. Initially misidentified as “human-sized” bats, these inaccurate descriptions led to misunderstandings and unwarranted worry.
It is necessary to make certain clarifications before delving deeper into the world of these incredible animals. Contrary to the exaggerated claims of their size, these bats cannot properly be described as “human-sized” unless such a term is generously used by comparing them to a “small child” rather than an average adult human.
One of the largest bat species in the world, the enormous golden-crowned bat has a wingspan of approximately 5 feet 6 inches, a body length of between 7 and 11 points 4 inches, and a weight of less than 3 pounds.
A nocturnal herbivore, the fig-eating bat hunts for roots, fruits, and vegetables at night. Its head is crowned with a magnificent, fluffy golden crown.
The golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), a unique resident of the Philippine jungles that typically lives in colonies of up to 10,000 members, is one of several species of flying fox megabats that are found in Asia, Africa, and Australia.
These bats sleep peacefully next to their friends while clinging to tree branches throughout the day with the help of their clawed toes, which serve as anchors. The enormous flying fox, which has a wingspan of just over five feet, will occasionally snooze next to its smaller relatives, the enormous bats.
These enormous golden-crowned flying foxes, in contrast to many other bats, use their keen senses of sight and smell to navigate the skies.
By scattering fig seeds after eating them, the flying fox heroically fights against the relentless forces of deforestation in the Philippines.
Sadly, they endanger their careful efforts by saving the very people they are trying to save. According to Bat Conservation International (BCI), 90% of the nation’s old forests have been destroyed, which has led to the extinction of the species on a number of islands where they had previously sought refuge.
Since 1986, the number of golden-crowned bats has been steadily declining, with a 50% drop in numbers being recorded during this time. The primary causes of this decline are the constant killing for commercial, personal, and recreational purposes, as well as the destruction of their natural habitat.
As a result, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed them as an endangered species. The Philippine Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, which was written to protect bats, is still in effect, but its enforcement could be improved.
Even though the majority of these animals seek refuge in protected areas, they are often mass-murdered. When animals are sleeping and defenseless, hunters shoot them in a cruel and horrible act.