Penru: The Hibernation Roost of Bats
Our Correspondent
Itanagar: Penru, a hibernation roost for bats near Larmuk Potom village, 9 km away from Darak Circle in West Siang district is one of the largest and deepest homes of the flying mammals. Though such roost are located in many places like Poyom, Kunuyami and other villages but the roost caved deep in the rocky hillock near Larmuk Potom is famous through the ages to witness fluttering of bats through the evening sky in such a huge quantity even obstructing passersby and dropping into houses in plenty in those olden days.
These bats were seen at their playful best in large number just after the sunset from the month of March to October. It was total hibernation in winter as few bats were seen flying around perhaps for food, drink and rehydrate using a combination of echolocation and receptor to navigate the winter nights and spine chilling cold wave that use to sweep that particular location.
Though the population of the bats has dwindled drastically over the years, Penru at Larmuk Potom still shelters the black species of these flying mammals today also. The recent visit to Penru by a team dragged memories to drift down the memory lanes, a nostalgic childhood reminiscences of playing with bats with bamboo sticks and many bats were smashed down, pocketed and brought home, interestingly measuring our calibre on the basis of number bats killed by each child. People’s infancies knew nothing about love for animals and birds and just derived pleasantest things playing with the lives of playful bats. These flying mammals use too loom large after sunset of a bright sunshine when flying insects from the holes of the soil use to come out in large quantities after preceded by rainfall for few days.
The evening sky was crowded with flies and bats and that was the moment the children used to venture out as third party to interfere in the predator-prey war.
Sadly, rare species and rich varieties of mammals, animals, birds and fishes have diminished from the ecosystem to dislodge the balance of nature. Deforestation in large scale in the name jhum cultivation for sustenance, logs for infrastructure and fire woods for domestic uses has destroyed the natural homes of the animals and birds. What people want today is ecotourism to unearth such places of interests and open up trekking tracks to promote adventure tourism in the countryside too.
Also Read: Arunachal News
