A Unique Phenomenon Kasanka National Park’s Annual Bat Migration

WRITER: CHRISTELLE MALLANTS PHOTOGRAPHY: ANGELA STAVROU, KATIE SEIDEL, RICHARD PEEL

asanka National Park, in Zambia’s Central Province, is the scene of one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth. From October to December each year, about 10 million straw-coloured fruit bats migrate across from Central Africa to a small patch of swamp forest in the centre of the park to feast on an abundance of fruit ripening at this time of

the year.

Bats provide valuable services to humans but sadly, all around the world, there are more and more misconceptions of their purpose, their necessity and their character. These incredible creatures are becoming extinct and it’s a concern because they contribute to the ecosystem more than we could ever imagine.

Bats are important for global biodiversity and ecosystem health, and many bat species have adapted to living safely alongside us in both urban and rural environments; in our gardens, parks and even roosting around our homes as beneficial neighbours.

The ecological roles of bats include pollinating and dispersing the seeds of hundreds of species of plants. For example, bats serve as major pollinators of

many types of cacti that open their flowers only at night, when bats are active. In addition, bats eat copious quantities of insects and other arthropods; on a typical night, a bat consumes the equivalent of its own body weight of these creatures.

However, bats have continuously been demonised because they’re always seen as ‘scary bloodsuckers’ that will spread diseases and they are, therefore, often cruelly and unfairly killed. Other threats to bat survival include the use of pesticides and insecticides, habitat loss and the hunting of bats for bush meat in some regions of the world. Let’s find out more about them and keep them safe!

• There are over 1,200 different species of bats. • Many bat species are in severe decline, with some already listed as endangered or threatened. • Bats are pollinators, along with bees and butterflies, and provide a vital link to our food supply. They are the only pollinators of the agave from which we make tequila, for example; without bats we would have no tequila. • The next time you slice a banana for your cereal or enjoy a mango, thank a bat. The wild stocks of these fruits are dependent upon bats for their pollination and seed dispersal. • Dates, breadfruits, cashews and figs are also dependent on bats. • Contrary to popular belief, bats do not attack people; bats do not get tangled in people’s hair; and even vampire bats are not true vampires: vampire bats lick blood but do not suck blood. • The majority of bat species are insectivores and frugivores; there are only three species that live on blood. • Bats rid our world of many annoying insects: in one hour, a bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes. • Bats are the only mammals that can fly. • During flight, bats rev up their metabolic rate 15 to 16 times higher than non-flying mammals. That raises their body temperature to between 100°F and nearly 106°F (38°C to 41°C), the equivalent of a pretty high fever in humans. • The giant golden-crowned flying fox is one of the largest bat species in the world. It is among the heaviest of all bat species, with individuals weighing up to 1.40 kg (3.1 lb). It is endemic to the

Philippines and only eats fruit. • The bumblebee bat, also known as Kitti’s hog-nosed bat, is the world’s smallest bat and the smallest mammal in the world based on skull size. Weighing in at just around 2 g, it’s so small that you might actually confuse one for a bumblebee if it went buzzing by your ear in the night.

It is important to know that viewing the annual migration of the bats at Kasanka National Park will not put visitors at risk of catching Covid-19 from bats. Bats in the wild are not a threat to human health if protected and left undisturbed. Bats and other wildlife do not spread the disease among humans—only humans spread Covid-19 to other humans.

By visiting Kasanka National Park and spreading the word about the importance of bats, you are protecting the environment and participating in the local conservation, education and community work. ■

KASANKA TIPS AND FACTS:

• Bats represent no danger to viewers. • No human outbreaks of coronaviruses linked to bats have occurred on the continent. • The Kasanka bat migration is unique in the world and is of great national pride. • Straw-coloured fruit bats are frugivores, meaning they feed on fruit, not blood. • Bats are necessary to biodiversity conservation in

Kasanka National Park. • Bats are an essential element of our ecosystem. • Do NOT eat bats! • Do NOT hurt bats!

GREEN SAFARIS NATURALLY UNIQUE

Most governments around the world are emphasising the importance of a few small steps when it comes to fighting the COVID-19 disease: isolation, social distancing, protecting the elderly and the immunocompromised, and washing your hands as often as possible.

But these are difficult goals in much of Africa, where families often live on top of each other in very small mud huts or houses, where community is a vital part of every person’s identity, where the elders are cared for by their children and grandchildren, and where many hygiene products are a luxury rather than a necessity.

Green Safaris is a family of sustainable safari properties set in Zambia and Malawi, and this company was born from a love affair with Africa and an urge to empower her people and conserve its wildlife and last remaining wild spaces.

So now – in the absence of guests - this young, passionate company is taking steps to protect their staff and communities through the time of coronavirus with a proactive education initiative and a delivery system for basic necessities.

Although travel is no longer an option for people around the world, and therefore no guests are making their way to the Green Safaris properties which are almost entirely closed up, this company is ensuring that their staff still have enough to live on by keeping everybody on half time. The staff members who aren’t helping with construction – and further greenification - of the properties, are also taking on the vital role of carrying out the Green Safaris Conservation Foundation’s empowerment work in the local communities.

One of the main struggles for the communities surrounding Green Safaris properties Ila Safari Lodge, Tongabezi, Shawa Luangwa Camp, and Chisa Busanga Camp, and Kaya Mawa is that they are incredibly isolated and have little access to education or reliable news. Green Safaris is combating this in a big way by spreading information to their neighbours about Covid-19 and how best to protect themselves and their families.

The Green Teams are identifying the oldest and most vulnerable in the local villages and ensuring that they have an understanding of the situation and the support that they need. We are explaining social distancing, isolation, and simple affordable ways to maintain hygiene standards.

Posters and flyers in multiple languages have been designed and printed by the Green Teams, who have then spread them through the

villages, schools, clinics, and social spaces near their multiple properties. The Green Teams then headed into market areas such as the Nalusanga market in order to provide shop owners with information about the proper way to wash their stations, their hands, and even the communal taps.

The Teams have also met with local headmen to inform them about Covid-19. This meeting had the necessary precautions, which meant meeting less than 20 people at a time, always outside with no physical contact and at least 1.5 metres between each person at all times. It was a wonderful way to demonstrate to the communities that their leaders were taking this issue seriously, and the goal of the meeting was to inform the headmen about the realities of coronavirus and ask them to spread the word throughout their own villages in a safe manner.

Green Safaris have initiated a delivery system to ensure that people in their immediate surroundings have access to basic hygiene products without needing to go into town and put themselves or their family at risk.

To date, in the community of Chiefdown Kabubelwe alone over 2,500 bars of soap have been distributed by the Green Team nearest. These were distributed to each headman according to the number of households that he would be able to take them back to, and were also taken to several Health Clinics, Post offices, and Marketplaces which desperately needed hygiene supplies.

Most excitingly, Green Safaris has designed and initiated the ‘Tippy-Tap’. Most households don’t have access to running water unless they walk to the nearest well or tap which is often kilometres away. Instead, the Green Team came up with an ingenious hand-washing system that only needs a plastic bottle, soap, rope, and sticks.

All that the villagers need to do is collect water, fill their bottle which is suspended from a tree or fence, place a small amount of soap in the bottle, and screw the lid (which has a smaller hole drilled in it) closed. Then anybody needing to wash their hands simply stands on a stick which is attached to the lid of the bottle, tilting the bottle itself down, and soapy water pours out without any cross-contamination or turning of taps.

This design has spread throughout the villages nearest to the Green Safaris properties since it can be copied by anyone and adapted to their own space or needs. The ‘Tippy-Tap’ means that every household has a chance to maintain the level of handwashing that is vital for protecting against coronavirus.

Whilst much of the world has gone into shutdown, with shops, restaurants, markets, and all public places being forced to close, this status quo is not as maintainable in Zambia and Malawi. Many families barely live from one meal to the next, and closing their doors in order to stay safe at home is simply not an option without any food or water in the house.

Education, focussing isolation on the vulnerable, creating employment opportunities that take the necessary health and safety precautions, and ensuring access to vital hygiene products is the best way to empower and safeguard so many Zambian and Malawian communities, and Green Safaris is not shying away from doing what needs to be done.

e: marketing@greensafaris.com t: +260 976 366 054 w: greensafaris-foundation.com