Malayan flying fox

With a wingspan of 1.5-1.7m, these are among the largest bats in the world. At the Leopard Trail Mangrove Walk, feel the breeze as they flap past you, sometimes missing you by inches. There’s no cause for alarm — these frugivorous bats mean no harm.

They’re just probably in a hurry to get to their supper. Landing on the tips of the branches decked out with juicy fruit by the keepers, they quickly fall into an upside-down position to feed, hanging on by the claws on their toes.

Their toe claws provide such a powerful grip they can hang on with one foot while feeding with the other! Slicing the rind with their teeth, they extract the fruit with their long tongue, which is also used to lap up the juices.

The thumb claw is used as a hook to help them move along branches. Males also use it to settle turf wars. Highly territorial by nature, they communicate ownership by spreading their wings, growling, or making hostile noises.

When night falls, the flying foxes leave their daytime roost to feed. their keen vision and sense of smell helps them locate fruit and flowers easily. They can eat up to half their body weight in fruit on a daily basis.

When sated, they right themselves before doing a “free-fall” take off. They also turn the right side up to defecate. Orchard owners regard them as pests and but a bit of fruit is a small wage to pay for the help they render in pollination and seed dispersal.