1 Million Fruit Bats

Dear friends and family,

You won't believe this, but we live near a colony of over a million fruit bats! Every evening around dusk, they take off from their roosts near the 37 Military Hospital, just a couple of miles from our apartment. It's an incredible sight – the sky fills with these huge bats (12-20 inch wingspan!) all heading out to forage for the night. During the day, they hang in the trees, creating a massive, living curtain of bats.

Now, you might be wondering why there are so many fruit bats in an area with no fruit farms. Well, there's a fascinating local legend about it. Apparently, a long time ago, a chief from a village in eastern Ghana was brought to the 37 Military Hospital, accompanied by a swarm of fruit bats. Sadly, he passed away while in the hospital. The legend says that the bats are still waiting for him to be discharged and are patiently hanging around until he leaves.

I've included a link to some pictures and videos we took, but they really don't capture the awe-inspiring scale of this bat colony. It's something you have to see to believe!

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/tFn4BSMYSk2jJatt5

With Love to you all,

Ross & Krysti Wilson