Monfort Bat Sanctuary
Monfort Bat Sanctuary has been the house of a large colony of 2.3 million
Fruit bats
Owner
The Iñigo-Monfort family has maintained the area since the 1900s. Norma Monfort is the current owner of the 57 acres of land, including its 1.8 million
Sightseeing
With such an abundant amount of fruit bats, visitors can get an up close look from outside any of the five entrances. Visitors cannot enter because any disturbance can cause panic to the bats. Late afternoon is suggested to be the best time to visit because of the daily circadian flight. The circadian flight occurs right after sunset, when millions of bats fly out of the cave to find food. There are informational tours that bring visitors to the sanctuary. It is estimated about 400 students visit daily.[2][7] It's also possible to visit after sunset, starting at 18:00, but only by appointment, and in maximum groups of six persons.
References
- ^ Reasons to Visit the Amazing Monfort Bat Sanctuary, Samal Island. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2012, from TripSiders.com website: "About TripSiders | PHILIPPINE OUTDOOR TRAVEL | TRIPSIDERS". Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
- ^ a b c Locke, R (2006). "A Treasure Trove of Fruit Bats". BATS Magazine. Vol. 24, no. 4. pp. 1–7.
- ^ a b "The unlikely Mama San". 5 May 2012.
- ^ "Largest colony of Geoffrey's Rousette Fruit Bat (Rousetteus amplexicaudatus)". Guinness World Records. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
The Monfort Bat Colony, located in the Monfort Cave on the Samal Island in Mindanao, Philippines, is the largest colony of Geoffrey's Rousette Fruit Bat (Rousetteus amplexicaudatus)". As per an estimate from Bat Conservation International in 2006, the population in the Monfort cave was approximately 1.8 million.
- ^ "Fruit bat". Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia (6th ed.). November 2011.
- ^ About Fruit Bats. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2012, from ALL ABOUT BATS website: http://www.about-bats.com/fruit-bats.html
- ^ Reasons to Visit the Amazing Monfort Bat Sanctuary, Samal Island. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2012, from TripSiders.com website: "About TripSiders | PHILIPPINE OUTDOOR TRAVEL | TRIPSIDERS". Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2012-12-17.