Guwahati: Have you ever thought that the Panbazar area in the city, which is one of the busiest areas, is a roosting site for Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus Brunn., 1782), the largest fruit bat species in Assam.
For the past 15 years, the Panbazar roosting site has been permanently dwelling in the Panbazar area of Guwahati. As of November 20, 2022, population of the site has gone up to 1,527 from the previous 1,063, which was recorded on January 3, 2017.
A study conducted by Azad Ali, Associate Professor and Former Head of Biodiversity and Ecological Research Centre (BERC), Department of Zoology, B. N. College, Dhubri on the “Conservation Status and Ecotourism Potentiality of Indian Flying Fox Colony at Panbazar Roosting Site of Guwahati” says the huge colony of Indian flying foxes of Guwahati at Panbazar area could be a good ecotourism spot since it is easily accessible and most importantly it is permanent in nature.
The Panbazar Indian flying fox roosting site was originally located at the Kacharighat and Judge’s field area of Guwahati in Assam, which is also the gateway of Northeast India. The average monthly population of the original site was recorded at 574.28 bats during the period 2000-2003. However, in the later part of 2007, the entire colony was shifted to plantations of the hillock like area of the water reservoir (Panitanki) of Panbazar bus stoppage on the Mahatma Gandhi Road (MG Road) of Guwahati.
“For the last 15 years (2007-2022), Indian flying foxes were seen permanently using the Panbazar habitat for roosting purposes. The population of the newly shifted Panbazar roosting site was recorded at 1,063 on January 3, 2017 and the population has gone almost double in ten years from the first shifting. It signifies that the new habitat has worked in favor of the Indian flying fox colony,” the study says.
The study says the high altitude nature of the site gives them an extra height for flying freely in the atmosphere, which is very important for safe foraging as well as obstacle free emerging and return at dusk and dawn respectively. At the same time, the presence of a series of plant species in a linear stretch provided a continuous aerial canopy for large scale roosting.
“From a distance it looks like a single spot, though the close observation makes all the trees look like a different entity with some small groups of Indian flying foxes. The presence of the large water bodies in the form of River Brahmaputra provides enough water to satiate the need of the thirsty bats before foraging at the time of emergence. At the same time, it keeps the environment moist and maintains a moderate temperature required for the day roosting bats,” it says.
The site is very safe since the entire area comes under governmental jurisdiction of GMC and other government agencies. Hunting is almost nil in the roosting area. “After the opening of the ‘Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre (MBRHC)’, the area became safer because of constant security provisions provided for the visitors. During daytime, we can see a few bats hanging on the electric wires in different parts of the city, basically in residential areas with more planted fruiting and flowering trees. During foraging for feeding, they accidently fall victim to the electric wires since this fruit bat species is said to be less successful in avoiding unexpected obstacles at night,” Dr. Ali says in the study.
Ali says the creation of ‘City Bat Park’ with proper guidelines can be an ecotourism hotspot of the city with this live and economically important wildlife species to earn revenue from the Assam government under the tourism sector. The roosting site can also be traced easily as it is just adjacent to the newly opened “Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre (MBRHC)”, which is situated at the southern bank of River Brahmaputra of Assam valley.
“Wildlife ecotourism has emerged as one of the best livelihood ways of Northeast Indian people with special reference to Assam since it has been regarded as one of the most unique biodiversity hotspots. However, bat roosting sites were not yet highlighted under ecotourism projects by the government,” the study says.
“The Assam forest department can declare the area as the first ‘Bat Park’ of Assam and adopt some measures for tourism purposes. ‘Watch Tower’ should be constructed from a slight distance for viewing the colony without disturbing them in their day sleep at rest time. The Government can build ‘Bat Museum’ along with a ‘Bat Research Laboratory’ near the bank of River Brahmaputra just by the side of the Panbazar roosting site to study the taxonomical and ecological research on the available bat species of Northeast India with special reference to Assam,” Ali says in the study.
The author says he will also try to develop a database on the involvement and interaction of the fruit bat species (P. giganteus) with the various roosting, fruiting and flowering trees of the locality to help the government in establishing the Bat Park. It will give us a complete picture of the Indian flying fox’s role in pollination and seed dispersal activities, he says.
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“A bat roosting site can be a potential ecotourism spot for those visitors who are really interested in wildlife ecotourism and will generate good revenues for the state government. Ultimately some amount can be used by the forest department in rehabilitation and conservation of the concerned fruit bat species and our future City Bat Park,” Ali has suggested in his study.
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