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SINGAPORE: Residents along Upper Boon Keng Road have been told to keep calm and hang shiny objects on their doors and windows, after receiving some unique visitors: bats that live in nearby fruit trees.
Flying mammals have pounced on the homes of those living in the 14 block of Upper Boon Keng Road.
“Our residents were concerned that bats were carriers of disease and did not know the correct way to ‘get’ these ‘guests’ from their homes,” said Jalan Besar, GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Josephine Teo, in a Facebook post on Thursday (September 10).
Officials contacted NParks, who arranged for an officer and a bat research specialist to visit those affected, Ms Teo said.
“They assured our residents that these bats do not possess virulent strains of coronavirus and shared about the important ecological roles of bats as pollinators and in controlling insect populations,” he added.
Residents received practical advice on how to deter bats from entering their homes, including hanging shiny objects like CDs at entry points and installing a magnetic fly screen or insect net on windows.
The city council has also pruned nearby fruit trees to “encourage bats to create their homes away from residential units,” Ms Teo added.
Out of more than 1,000 species of bats in the world, 20 species can be found in Singapore, according to an advisory from NParks and the Singapore Wildlife Reserves.
Bats are generally shy and non-aggressive unless they feel threatened or attacked. They play an essential role in the ecosystem, acting as pollinators and seed dispersers, as well as helping with the control of the insect population by feeding on mosquitoes, beetles and crickets.
“Don’t be alarmed,” the ad read. “Like most wild animals, bats are shy. It is recommended to leave the bats alone. They will fly after they have finished feeding.”
Some tips from NParks and Wildlife Reserves Singapore:
– Leave the bats alone: they will fly away after they finish feeding.
– Do not handle a punished bat, as it can bite in self-defense.
– To minimize feeding and resting for bats on your property, install lighting in areas where you think bats may visit.
– Apply lubricants or glitter paper to the areas where they perch or perch to prevent them from doing so.
