Thousands of Bats Seek Shelter in Odisha Village as Locals Revere Them Like Relatives
Bats in Mahanga Villagers of Cuttack District Have Been Revered for Ages But Heat and Hunting Threatens Their Lives Now
When one imagines bats soaring in the night skies, there is a village in the district of Cuttack of Odisha where bats roost and live openly during the day in such massive numbers that a whole new perspective on coexistence emerges here.
A very special occurrence takes place at Bheda-Barahipur village in Mahanga block where lakhs of bats take shelter in the trees of the villages and hang from trees throughout the day in the unusual manner. In the evenings, the bats come out for their hunt and return early in the morning back to their resting places.
The bats are highly revered by the residents as they consider them lucky and protective of the village. Not only do they refrain from destroying the nests of the bats by not cutting the trees, but also nobody comes and hunts them due to their safe environment provided to them by the local villagers.
People from the village maintain that these bats are auspicious for the village, and are taken care of by everyone in the village. No hunter comes near the village as these bats are protected by the people in the village in every manner possible.
“We feel that these bats belong to our village. These are harmless and also auspicious for us,” a villager was quoted saying.
But it has been observed that many of these bats are hunted and sold for money by hunters, as there is no security for them outside the village. Moreover, hot weather has also posed a great threat to the survival of the bats.
“Due to hot summers, many of these bats are losing their lives as the temperature keeps increasing,” added a villager.
It is now being demanded by villagers that the government should make some necessary efforts in order to protect the bats from any kind of harm.
Today this village has become an example where people and animals live harmoniously with each other.
