Tourists strain their eyes to find the rare bat at Dơi Pagoda.

There are hundreds of temples in Sóc Trăng, and each temple has many green trees, but only at Dơi Temple, Ward 3, TP Sóc Trăng, there is a colony of bats that reside and live.

According to the results of the investigation and research (2013-2015) of the group of authors from Cần Thơ University - the bats living in the temple grounds of Dơi Temple are Thai Flying Foxes and Small Flying Foxes. The number of bats is constantly changing according to the season, concentrated from September to the end of the following February, ranging from 450 to 1,753 individuals.

The bats at Dơi Temple are evaluated as rare species, with an average weight of 0.5kg to over 1kg, a wing span of 1m to 1.5m (exceptionally up to 2m), and a maximum flying speed of 50-60km/h.

The bats of this species are evaluated as rare, with an average weight of 0.5kg to over 1kg per individual, a wing span of 1m to 1.5m, exceptionally up to 2m.

This species of bat does not have legs but only has sharp claws on its wings.

This species of bat does not have legs but only has 5 sharp claws on each wing.

This species of bat is a mammal and gives birth to young, not laying eggs, and only gives birth once a year and gives birth to only one offspring. They do not build nests, so when giving birth, they still hang upside down on a tree branch, one wing hooked into the branch, the other wing supporting the soon-to-be-born offspring, after giving birth, they just hold the offspring all day and night. Approximately 3-4 months, the bat offspring can fly and go find food on its own.

The bats of this species are mammals and give birth to young. Each year, they only give birth once and give birth to only one offspring. When giving birth, one wing of the bat hooks into a tree branch, the other wing supports the soon-to-be-born offspring, after giving birth, they just hold the offspring all day and night for approximately 3-4 months. When the bat offspring can fly, it will go find food on its own.

According to Venerable Lâm Tú Linh, former deputy abbot of Dơi Temple, previously, there were many bats in the temple, with tens of thousands of individuals. Every morning or afternoon, the bats would fly overhead, densely perched on tree branches. The bats here are very friendly, not afraid of loud noises or approaching tourists to admire.

“Previously, there were many bats, densely perched on trees. Every evening, they would fly out to forage, and every morning, they would return. Now, there are very few, only a few trees in the temple grounds where they congregate, and tourists have to observe carefully to see the bats,” Venerable Linh said.

“I have come to see the bats here many times. The bats here are quite large compared to other places. However, the number is not as many as it was over a decade ago,” a tourist who visited Dơi Temple on the afternoon of August 10 said.

“Over a decade ago, I came to see the bats here. Now, I have returned to visit. The bats here are quite large compared to other places. However, the number is not as many as it was before,” a tourist who visited Dơi Temple on the afternoon of August 10 said.

A forestry officer from Sóc Trăng Province said that during the inspection, if they find bats being sold, they will confiscate them and issue a fine. After that, they will bring them back to Dơi Temple to release them back into the wild. “However, many shops have ways to evade detection, making it difficult to inspect and handle the situation,” the officer said.

Before the current situation of bat population decline, some local scientists have proposed organizing inspections and checks on bat hunting, trading, and selling activities on the premises. Implementing some technical solutions to limit human impact on the bat population in the temple grounds of Dơi Temple. In the long term, it is necessary to plant more trees in the temple grounds to provide food for the young bats that cannot go far to forage.

Before the current situation of bat population decline, local authorities have collaborated with some scientists to research and propose conservation solutions. One of the priorities is to implement some technical solutions to limit human impact on the bat population in the temple grounds of Dơi Temple. In the long term, it is necessary to plant more trees in the temple grounds to provide food for the young bats that cannot go far to forage, thereby reducing the risk of them being hunted while foraging for food.