Dhenkanal’s Birasal village turns bat-friendly haven thanks to community protection, watch
While many bat species are facing extinction globally, this village has become a breeding place for bats
Dhenkanal: The Birasal village under Kankadahada block in Dhenkanal district of Odisha has now become a haven for endangered bats. Thousands of bats live in the big trees of this village without any fear as the villagers protect them. And the view of the bats creates a beautiful scene as they live in a natural environment for bats to live in.
Bats have been living in this village for more than 100 years. That is why Birasal has got special recognition as a bat village in the entire Dhenkanal district.
With the cooperation of the villagers and the efforts of the Yuvak Sangha, bats here get community protection. Thousands of bats live in the mango trees, banyan tree and another tree near the high school ground of the village. While many bat species are facing extinction globally, this village has become a breeding place for bats.
According to the villagers, if bats stay in the village, there is no danger to the village and everyone in the village prospers. The villagers believe that the bats are the carriers of Goddess Lakshmi and are blessed by her.
According to the villagers, the bats had left the village before the super cyclone of 1999. As a result, the elderly people there feared danger in the village. Later, these fears of the villagers turned out to be true. The entire village was devastated by the cyclone, and the financial situation of many people became worse. But a few days after the cyclone, the bats returned in thousands to the village. As a result, it is said that no danger has come to the village till date.
However, the presence of thousands of bats throughout the year attracts the greedy eyes of poachers. Since bat meat and other body parts have valuable medicinal properties, the villagers and the youth association of the village have joined hands to save the bats from the greedy eyes of hunters.
The villagers have built a fence under the trees where the bats live. They also make arrangement of drinking water for the bats in the summer. Besides, during the hot summer, the trees are sprayed with water with the help of the fire brigade to protect the bats from the heat. Also, the forest department cooperates.
Thousands of bats live here throughout the year, but besides summer, no such help is provided by government agencies at any other time of the year. Therefore, the villagers have demanded better habitat and protection for the bats from the forest department. Meanwhile, it has been learned that the forest department is planning special arrangements for the bats.
Due to the close relationship between the villagers and the endangered bats, Birasal village has now become a safe haven for the bats.
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