Monfort Bat Sanctuary has been the house of a large colony of 2.3 million Rousette fruit bats since

recorded history Recorded history or written history describes the historical events that have been recorded in a written form or other documented communication which are subsequently evaluated by historians using the historical method. For broader world hist ...

. They cover 75% of the ceilings and walls of their -long cave The sanctuary is located on

Samal Island Samal, officially the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCOS; fil, Pulong Harding Lungsod ng Samal, ceb, Pulong Harding Dakbayan sa Samal) is a 4th class component city in the province of Davao del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 censu ...

, about east of

Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...

, Philippines. According to

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

, it is the largest single colony of this kind.

Fruit bats

Fruit bat Megabats constitute the family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera (bats). They are also called fruit bats, Old World fruit bats, or—especially the genera ''Acerodon'' and ''Pteropus''—flying foxes. They are the only member of the sup ...

s are an extremely popular type of bat that can also be called

megabat Megabats constitute the family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera (bats). They are also called fruit bats, Old World fruit bats, or—especially the genera ''Acerodon'' and ''Pteropus''—flying foxes. They are the only member of the su ...

s. The bats originate from tropical regions of the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

. They don't hibernate and since they dislike the cold, tropical regions suit them best. Fruit bats diet includes fruit and nectar. During their Circadian flight, fruit bats gather 1.5 to 3 times their body weight in food. Certain types of fruit bats have short jaws and powerful teeth to pierce into fruit. Others have long tongues and snouts to reach pollen and nectar. They can search up to to find food. Some types of fruit bats can have a 5 feet wing span, the largest of all bats. Other fruit bats only have a 6 centimeter long wing span. All but a few types of fruit bats are nocturnal. The ones occupying The Monfort Bat Sanctuary are nocturnal. These bats are quite rare because they are killed for food. Other predators include

crow A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifical ...

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...

s, -long

python Python may refer to: Snakes * Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia ** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia * Python (mythology), a mythical serpent Computing * Python (pro ...

s, and

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

s. Usually fruit bats can survive these creature attacks. Their major predators are feral dogs and cats.

Owner

The Iñigo-Monfort family has maintained the area since the 1900s. Norma Monfort is the current owner of the 57 acres of land including its 1.8 million

fruit bats In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particula ...

. She enclosed the property to discourage any possible bat hunters. Additionally, she hired 24-hour guards to protect the bats. Norma Monfort was named 2011 Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Hero.

Sightseeing

With such an abundant amount of fruit bats, visitors can get an up close look from outside any of the five entrances. Visitors cannot enter because any disturbance can cause panic to the bats. Late afternoon is suggested to be the best time to visit because of the daily Circadian flight. The Circadian flight occurs right after sunset, when millions of bats fly out of the cave to find food. There are informational tours that bring visitors to the sanctuary. It is estimated about 400 students visit daily.Reasons to Visit the Amazing Monfort Bat Sanctuary, Samal Island. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2012, from TripSiders.com website: It's also possible to visit after sunset, starting at 18:00, but only by appointment, and in maximum groups of 6 persons.

References

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External links

* https://archive.today/20130415181241/http://philippinebatconservation.org/our-partners/monfort-bat-cave-and-conservation-foundation/ * http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/04/pictures/110405-bats-swarms-caves-philippines-monfort-world-record * https://www.samalguide.com/activities/monfort-bat-cave/ Caves of the Philippines Wildlife rehabilitation and conservation centers Animal conservation organizations Megabats Landforms of Davao del Norte Tourist attractions in Davao del Norte Animal welfare organizations based in the Philippines