VAMPIRE BATS

The big common Vampire Bats (Desmodus royundus) are also nocturnal mammals; they too were a threat to coconut farmers. Their teeth are so powerful that they dig into the tender coconut and suck its water. By doing so the entire nut was spoiled. ‘Appachan’ used to shoot them down. It was blinded by the glaring light of the torch when it was directed right into its eyes. It was at this moment that ‘Appachan’ would shoot them down. When a few were killed in this way most of them disappeared from the vicinity of the farm for some time. I have noticed a lot of these big bats hanging on a big banyan tree in the Shiva temple compound at Nettoor and from there it used to come at night to the neighbouring islands.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com