Zagreb Zoo

Date: 19.08.2011.

Bats have been flying on our planet for at least 50 million years, according to the age of the oldest fossils found of these flying mammals. Today, they are the best and the most precise fliers. Perfectly precise flight is enabled by wings that are actually elastic membrane between their fingers and toes. Those wings gave the entire group its name. Scientific name Chiroptera means „hand -wing“, or more precisely „fist-wing“. Other than flight, bats are also known for their unique orientation system – echolocation, which allows them to “see” with their ears with the help of return echo of emitted sound. The information that they gather with their ears help them to avoid small obstacles in flight, but also to find the exact location of the prey.

Today there are more than 1100 species of bats around the world spread out on all continents except Antarctica. The order of bats is divided into two suborders: Megachiroptera, also called flying foxes or fruit bats and Microchiroptera or true bats. The first suborder is also called „Old world” bats because they live in tropical parts of Africa, Asia and Australia. They have the biggest wing span among bats, for example, Golden-crowned fruit bat (Acerodon jubatus) with up to 1.5 m wingspan. Unlike Megachiroptera, true bats have much smaller wing span and can be found worldwide. They have different diet too. While flying foxes eat primarily fruit, flowers and nectar, true bats feed on insects and can also eat meat, leaves, even fish and blood.

35 different species of bats live in Croatia, including almost all species that live in Europe, which makes us one of the richest countries in terms of bat fauna. Bats make up for a third of all mammals in Croatia.

The presence of bats in nature is much more important than most people are aware of. In fact, they are crucial for ecosystems sustainability and environmental health. Their importance is evident in the insect number control, pollination and seed distribution. Many plants that depend on bats are of huge economical or medicinal value to humans. Plants such as bananas, avocadoes, carob, cloves, dates, figs, peaches and many others depend on bats.

Most species of bats worldwide is threatened due to economy activities that result in deforestation and habitat fragmentation. Therefore, the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) under the EUROBATS Agreement on the Conservation of Populations European Bats which celebrates its 20th anniversary, declared 2011-2012 the International Year of the Bat.

Zagreb Zoo joined the celebration of the Year of the bat. Various activities are planned and among the first of them is European Bat Night on the 3rd of September. Visitors will be able to learn about these flying inhabitants at night, or participate in various educational workshops and have fun watching fire acrobatics.

Find out more about bats on the official web pages of International Year of the Bat or on web pages of the State Institute for Nature Protection.