‘Bat Woman’ From Gujarat Is Not Afraid of the Nipah Virus! Says Bats Are Family
This 74-year old has lived with hundreds of bats for a decade. Says she's not afraid of the Nipah virus.
Bats are not amongst the cuddliest of animals; it’s no surprise why these winged creatures are associated with everything ghoulish and scary. The recent Nipah virus outbreak has not helped us in warming up to these creatures either. Media reports suggest that fruit bats, who are the primary carriers of the virus, may be responsible for the viral outbreak that killed 12 people in Kerala. But miles away from Kerala, in Rajpur village, 50 km from Ahmedabad lives 74-year-old Shantaben Prajapati, who is an ardent lover of these winged creatures. Known as ‘chamachidiyawala ba’ (the grandmother who lives with bats), Shataben doesn’t spare a thought about the Nipah virus, let alone be scared about it.
For the septuagenarian, bats are family. “I have heard of Nipah, but I am not afraid. I have been living with bats for a decade now,” she told The Times of India. Her house has been overrun by bats who occupy all the four walls of the ground and the first floor, but she’s not the one to complain. To accommodate the bat population inside her house, she has now shifted to the courtyard where she prepares her meals and sleeps. “The interiors only have a few belongings,” says Shantaben.
It all started around ten years ago when a group of bats made way into her home. At first, she was frightened of the bats which used to fly during the night time and return the next morning. The bats used to soil her floor with their droppings. But after a while, Shantaben started feeling a close connection with the bats since she had no one to share her home with. A widow, the 74-year-old was leading a lonely life since her daughters were married off and her son was away in Mumbai for work. She had raised her children single-handedly since the age of 30 after her husband died of electrocution.
Her neighbours who faced bat infestation inside their homes were quick to get rid of them with chemicals. Shantaben cannot bring herself to harm them. She says, “I cannot do it. They will leave when they have to. Who am I to decide their fate?” she says.
Instead, she has accommodated them and has adjusted to all the inconveniences caused by the bats. She has already shifted to the courtyard of her house so that the bats can live inside. She also burns incense of neem and camphor to rid the house of the stench caused by the droppings, which she collects by the buckets every day.
Watch Shantaben living with bats here:
She shares a special relationship with the bats and doesn’t pay heed to the scary stories promoted by the media. Madina Bibi Sipai, the sarpanch of Rajpur, notes that Shantaben has a unique affection for bats, which are considered not only unhygienic but also inauspicious by the locals. Even though many have volunteered to help her get rid of them for her, Shantaben has adamantly refused. But her affections for the winged creatures aside, the 74-year old need not worry about the bats spreading Nipah virus. Her house is occupied by mouse-tailed bats, whereas the fruit bats are responsible for spreading the infection.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 25, 2018 06:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).