People visitingHirakudDam Reservoir will soon be able to get a glimpse into the hitherto unexplored Bat Island, the Mahanadi river island which is Home for more than one thousand of bats. Visiting the island is part of Hirakud Cruise to be launched by theForest and Environmentdepartment of the soon.
The Bat Island is around 10 kilometers away from the zero point of Hirakud dam and only one kilometer away from the Debrigarh eco-tourism. One has to take a 20 minutes boat ride from zero point of Hirakud dam to reach the island, which is near village Mahutalu and around 20 to 25 fishermen families have been living in the village. During summer, when the water dries up, the villageMahultalugets connected with the Bat Island and one can walk up to the patch of the land in the river.
A dense forest is there at the island where the sunlight rarely reaches and there is darkness in the island even during the daytime. Since the bats are nocturnal and they take rest in daytime besides avoid the sunlight, the island, which spreads over around 2 hectare areas, has become place for nesting and resting of the hundreds of bats. The other reason behind the bats flocking to the island is the serenity of the place. Moreover, the bats, which rest during day time on trees in upside-down condition, also get plenty of prey at the island.