A fruit bat got a surprise when a grey-headed bushshrike took an interest in its fall; after a struggle to get away, the bat flew back to the safety of a nearby tree.
South Africa (09 December 2021) – Birds and Bats are like day and night; seeing them together is quite the sighting which is what Brent Leo-Smith and his Painteddog TV film crew got to witness while taking a break recently.
Wildlife filmmaker Brent was sitting in the garden at the Pridelands Conservancy, Balule Game Reserve, Greater Kruger, when the sighting took place.
A fruit bat sleeping in a nearby tree lost its grip and fell to the ground. A Grey-Headed Bushshrike took notice of the bat and went to investigate. The bird gave the bat a bit of a hard time.
“The Painteddog TV team heard bird alarm calls in the garden so we went to see what the commotion was about. A fruit bat had flown down onto the floor and a very ambitious bushshrike spent a few minutes attacking and pecking at the fruit bat.”
“The fruit bat was not in an ideal position as they struggle to take flight from the ground but with a little determination, the shaky fruit bat was able to escape and fly back into the safety of tree. By hanging upside down, they are able to easily launch themselves into flight if they need to escape.”
Parts of the video may be hard to watch, but do not worry; the bat does survive the ordeal.
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