The group of Egyptian fruit-eating bats in the Debrecen Zoo has grown with offspring: the three cubs born in the spring, whose gender is currently unknown, are currently spending their time clinging to their mother in the African nocturnal social display, which is shared with the Senegalese eared lemurs, the head of the institution told MTI.
Sándor Gergely Nagy wrote that with the three arrivals, the team of fruit-eating bats in Debrecen has now grown to 12.
The Egyptian fruit-eating bat, also known as the Nile flying dog, comes from Africa, including from the Nile region through Anatolia, the island of Cyprus, and the Middle East to Pakistan.
Its menu consists almost exclusively of various, mainly sweet fruits. It also needs high-energy food, as the active flight is extremely energy-demanding, explained the expert.
He added that it forms huge colonies with a population of up to 9,000, which overwhelm the fruit-bearing plants of the area in dense swarms at night. A bat usually has only one offspring at a time.
The growing cub is an increasing burden for the mother animal, so from the age of six weeks it no longer clings to it, but to a tree branch or the ceiling of the cave. By the time he is about six months old, he will be strong enough to fly himself
– explained Sándor Gergely Nagy.
