Kasanka National Park Hosts World's Largest Mammal Migration: Millions of Fruit Bats Descend

• Every October, hundreds of thousands of straw-coloured fruit bats migrate to Kasanka National Park, Zambia, forming one of the planet's largest mammal migrations.
• These bats, with wingspans up to 80 cm, roost tightly by day and fly up to 100 km at night to forage for fruit and nectar, consuming their body weight daily.
• The migration is crucial for ecological health, as the bats act as 'nature's gardeners' by spreading seeds and pollinating trees like mangoes and cashews across Africa.
• Kasanka National Park provides a unique, protected haven with abundant fruiting trees, making it an ideal and safe stopover for the bats during the wet season.
• This annual event is vital for forest regeneration and biodiversity, highlighting the significant impact a single species can have on entire ecosystems.

Why It Matters: Kasanka National Park hosts a critical annual migration of fruit bats, vital for African forest ecosystems.