Our first evening in Villa #10, I spotted what looked like a bat, flying from tree to tree between our deck and the sea below. Henry thought it could be a frigate bird, because they carry their wings at a broken angle, resembling a bat. These creatures were moving around at dusk, as were the various birds like Bulbuls and Mynah birds.  As I amused myself by trying to capture a photo of it on the wing, I noticed that this bird had ears! It couldn’t be a bird after all! In doing a little research, I found that the Fruit Bat, or mega chiroptera, does not possess echo location, but uses its eyes to navigate. The bats are the only native terrestrial mammals in Fiji. Of these, four of the species are fruit bats, and two are insectivores. The bat I spotted, photographed above, is a beka kosikosi P. tonganus. It has a golden shoulder ruff which is noticeable from the back. They roost in branches of tall forest trees and hang upside down during the day. These bats gain mobility to climb around, appearing much like monkeys, using a thumb-like claws which is free of the wing. It allows the bat to climb around the tree limbs, turning itself right side up at will. These bats fed overnight, returning to their colonies during the day. They are known to fly 30-40 kilometers to reach suitable trees for roosting. I read that fruit bats make great pets. Boiled fruit bat was at one time a Fijian speciality. Henry and I had the good fortune of being just meters from this ripe paw paw, or papaya tree. We spent many lazy evenings at dusk watching this bat feed on the papaya. After several days, he became more sensitive to our presence, and always hung upside down facing us, looking a bit like Sendak’s monster in kid’s pajamas. When the golden fur ruff is visible, the bat is facing in the opposite direction. Amusing!

JOURDAN ARPELLE-ZIEGLER