Daily Mail reports that a Chinese woman from Zhengzhou finds herself in fright after discovering bats crawling on her kitchen window while she was preparing breakfast. According to local news reporters, the winged animals apparently crawled through a crack from outside her apartment building and managed to creep through to her window.
According to Henan Province Radio and TV Station, Ms. Shi found the bats outside her home on Friday morning, in Zhengzhou city in central China's Henan Province.
She immediately called her relatives upon the hair-raising discovery, and soon after, local wild animal officers came and sprang into action. The officials decided to remove a portion of the glass pane to catch the winged animals.
After an hour-long intervention, the officials caught some bats, with the majority of them flying away. Officials said about 30 bats were crawling through the tiny space behind Ms. Shi's window.
According to Dong Chaowei, the director of the wild animal protection station, the bats could have belonged to the same family. He also warned the public that if bats happen to enter your home, it would be best not to touch them as they carry many pathogens.
He added that seeing bats in residential areas was a 'good thing' as it meant that the environment was good enough for wild animals to dwell in. Chaowei also explained how Zhengzhou's government made an effort to boost its ecology by planting trees, and as a result, wildlife increased in the area. He told reporters that he and his team planned to release the captured bats back to their natural habitat.
Are Bats Dangerous?
In a way, yes, they are. According to the United States Geological Survey, bats aren't likely to harm humans if left alone. However, the winged mammals are dangerous in a way since they carry a lot of diseases.
The current pandemic is, in fact, believed to have originated from bats. Moreover, coronavirus is said to have originated from an animal market in Wuhan, China.
According to the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV have all originated from bats. The exact manner of transference from animals to humans still remains unclear. Moreover, health experts warn that animal exploitation should stop if we don't want to be affected by more epidemics brought about by animal viruses.
Despite carrying plenty of viruses in their system, bats surprisingly don't get affected by them. National Public Radio says that bats carry over 130 viruses in their body.
Linfa Wang, an expert in bat viruses from Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, says that a bat's temperature can reach up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and its heart rate at 1,000 beats per minute.
Although these vitals could be fatal in humans, it seems that bats have developed an immune system to deal with the stresses of flying, Wang says.
What Does it Mean if a Bat Enters the House?
Contrary to what Dong Chaowei said about the presence of bats in the home indicating 'good environment,' ancient folklore frowns upon bats as they are often seen as bad luck and omens of death.
According to Bat Conservation International, a bat's sudden appearance in a building or house portrays grave misfortune. The degree of adversity could range from death to illness or just lousy luck.
Another famous myth about bats in houses, on the contrary, has nothing to do with omens, but with food. There is a common European belief that bats enter your home to steal food. The creatures are said to be extremely fond of fat. Tales tell that they will gnaw on slabs of bacon and ham.
