The giant golden-crowned bat, native to the Philippines, is often misunderstood due to its imposing appearance. With wings nearly as broad as Tom Cruise, it looks intimidating in flight. Its eerie resemblance to a vampire when roosting adds to the misconceptions.

However, these bats are harmless, showing no aggression towards humans. They are endemic to the Philippines, facing endangerment due to habitat loss and illegal hunting for sport or food.

Images of these misunderstood creatures went viral, wrongly dubbed “human-sized” bats, causing confusion and fear. To clarify, they are not human-sized but have a wingspan of about 5 feet 6 inches, weighing less than 3 pounds.

These fruit-eating megabats play a crucial role in reforestation by dispersing fig seeds. Yet, their population is rapidly declining due to habitat destruction, decreasing by 50% from 1986 to 2016. Despite protective laws, hunting persists.

Though not afraid of humans, they seek refuge in inaccessible places. Intelligent and quick learners, they exhibit remarkable memory.

Bats, despite their eerie appearance, are not bloodthirsty creatures. Only a few out of 1,300 species consume human blood. The golden-crowned flying foxes are endearing, deserving protection from habitat loss and hunting. Raise awareness to save these innocent, endangered creatures.