The painted bat also known as “Projapotibadur” (butterfly bat) has been rediscovered in Madhupur National Park of Bangladesh recently, after 133 years. Although still found in some states of India and Southeast Asian countries, it was widely considered extinct in the country for years.
Prof Dr M Monirul H Khan of the Zoology Department of Jahangirnagar University found the painted bat on June 7, in Madhupur after receiving information about it from his research assistant Lajesh Mrir. The bat was found hanging from the leaves of a banana tree.
The bat was seen for the last time in this country in 1888, according to The Fauna of British India, a series of scientific books that was published by the British government in India and edited by the English geologist and naturalist W.T. Blanford.
In 2015, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Bangladesh Forest Department published a Red List of threatened species. The bat was mentioned as “Data Deficient” in that list.
Dr M Monirul H Khan, who is a professional wildlife biologist engaged in research on various aspects of wildlife and wildlife habitats, told Bangladesh Post that he had been searching for this species for a long time and finally found it in Madhupur.
“The bat is very small in size; around 3.5cm and weighs 4.5gm. Its movement is similar to that of a butterfly and that is why it is also known as butterfly bat. Its bright colour sets it apart from other bats. Predators can easily notice them from a distance because of their bright colors”, he went on to describe.
He further said that, the number of this species is rapidly decreasing in the world as they are easy to hunt, and give birth to only one offspring a year.
Regarding the nature of the bat, he said that they live on small insects and are sluggish in nature. They don’t move much in daylight and prefer to spend this time sleeping in spaces between leaves. They become active at night.
When asked about how it can be saved from being extinct again, he said, “As one of the species has been spotted, I believe that more of them can be found in the nearby areas. Their habitats have to be preserved in order to protect them”.