City Press has received reports of increased bat sightings in the northern parts of Johannesburg.

These tend to coincide with sunset – or sunrise – which is, of course, when these flying nocturnal mammals come out to eat.

Although bats might be sinister looking and have an array of connotations attached to them, they will not hurt you and there’s no need to stand quivering in a corner.

So, although you might find it quite harrowing to see them in your home, don’t panic.

The Johannesburg Zoo’s curator of primates, Katherine Visser, assured City Press that these sightings are quite normal.

Visser said: “They are the only true flying mammals. You do get other mammals that are gliders. Bats come out to feed – especially insect-feeding bats – around sunset and sunrise, and later than that, too.”

In Gauteng there are about 20 different species of bats and 56 in the country – none of which are the dreaded vampire bats of South America which feed on blood, mostly that of livestock.

There are about 1 000 different species of bats on the planet.

“There is one fruit-eating bat you get in Gauteng and these are a lot bigger than the insect eaters. Some roost in tree barks but they do take advantage of roofs as they can fit through small gaps.

“They’re a protected indigenous species so you can’t kill them,” Visser said.

She said you should wait for the bats to leave the roof and then find a way of keeping them from re-entering, although they might be nesting in there and having babies. Visser said people should find a humane way of dealing with the offspring.

A good alternative, she said, is a bat box – a tall pole with a box at the top which could make a great bat “hangout” without harming them.

Visser said that after the bats are removed from the roof, homeowners should fill the gaps in the roof with expandable foam or call the zoo, which would be happy to offer assistance.

Visser said: “Because they are insect eaters, they do wonders for pest control, including eating insects that destroy crops. The fruit eaters are great at dispersing seed. In rain forests bats are responsible for a lotof the rejuvenation.”

Given the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, you will be pleased to know that bats don’t migrate. A few urban legends or folk tales have been attributed to bats. The most common is their affiliation with the fictional character, Count Dracula, the vampire.

“They’ve always had a bit of a bad rep. People will say something like ‘blind as a bat’ and, in actual fact, they see fairly well,” said Visser.

Their sonar capabilities add to their senses and different bats have different sonar frequencies.

“People also say they’ll fly into your hair, which is ridiculous. People also don’t like the look of them but up close they’re quite cute.”

Visser said another inaccurate “fact” about bats is that they can give you rabies but they are not carriers of the pathogen.

City Press has heard a tale of bats being caught, dipped in a potion and sent to a person’s home to bewitch them. Probably nonsense ...

Contact your local zoo or Friends of Free Wildlife for help with any unwanted winged visitors