What It Feels Like To Pet An African Fruit Bat

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How you ever pet a bat before? I recently had the opportunity to pet an African Fruit Bat and it was an incredible experience.

Attending The DuPage Caged Bird Society Show

Earlier this month, my wife and I went to the DuPage Caged Bird Society show at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL. We were shopping for toys and supplies for our 16-year old Greenwing Macaw, Harry. It’s fun to go because there are bird rescue groups trying to place abandoned pets and rescue animals. We saw parrots, a rescued a little barred owl that had lost an eye, and exotic birds. We saw finches, conures, and even a Canada Goose that had been rescued.

Petting A Bat

The highlight of the DuPage Caged Bird Society show was a man who stood on a small stage and had a carrier that was covered with a black cloth. Inside were two cute little African Fruit Bats. He took out one bat and held it by its feet, upside down. This immediately attracted a crowd. The face of the bat was like a little fox – it wasn’t scary or creepy at all. It was actually cute, and you could pet it with your fingers. They are really soft. The man put the bat in his shirt and it climbed out and crawled all over him – people were taking pictures like crazy with their iPhones.

African Fruit Bats Like To Be Pet Like Dogs

The bat was happy to be upside down, and you could see it’s little ears sweeping back and forth to hear everything. I’m sure it didn’t like the fluorescent lighting and the crowd, so it would keep trying to crawl away. It is a myth that bats will attack you and get tangled in your hair – bats fly by echolocation and definitely avoid people – they are looking for bugs, not humans.

Petting an African Fruit Bat made me appreciate just how cool nature is.