It was about six years ago when the population of Chiropteran bats, were fast dwindling in Mount Abu. Was anyone alarmed? Probably not! Isolatedly, when it was brought to the notice of denizens like Harjeet Singh Gujral, the renowned curio shopowner, he wondered, "I remember there used to be thousand bats on the way to my school. Now there are hardly any". When a few denizens brought this to the administration's notice, they just demanded proof for the importance of these creatures. As exulted by the creator of Uncle Sam, the great punster Mark Twain, who was all praise for this truly flying mammal, "I do not know any creature that is pleasanter to the touch or is more grateful of caressing, if offered in the right spirit." Even DH Lawrence was all admiration for this badly threatened mammal in his poem, 'Bats'. Zoologists agree that bat is rather important in animal chain.

For naturalists, the bat is a very important link in the animal world and is of great service in pollination. Large Fruit Bats can spread seeds throughout forests helping to plant new growth. Vampire bats have a special blood thinning chemical in their saliva. Micro-bat's echolocation is being studied to see if we can duplicate it to assist blind people. There are many bats that live on the nectar from the flower of plants. There are some flowers that only bloom at night and the bat is the only animal that assists in the pollination of these plants. Cacti, like the agave, are an example. Bananas, avocados, dates, figs, peaches, mangoes, cloves and cashews are other trees that all benefit from bats as they pollinate or spread their seeds. Bats make up a quarter of all mammal species on earth!

Rampant construction, cutting of trees and blasting of rocks in past, the dwindling bat population in Mount Abu had become a matter of concern for some. Then came the directive of the apex court of India and things began to look up for the poor bat. Rampant construction came to a halt, save for some isolated aberrations. La and behold, the miracle began to take place the population of this winged handed mammal began to swell in Mount Abu. As its hibernation was less disturbed in winters, more bats began to see though the harsh winters of Mount Abu and since last six years, they have been helping in pollination in the wild, otherwise how one would explain the sprouting of many saplings in places where man seldom treads. Evening rollicking brouhaha near the Dell Bungalow is a sight to see for all passers-by - both residents and visitors, announcing happy days are back again, not only for the bats in Mount Abu, but also for the fragile eco-system of Mount Abu.