THRISSUR: Despite the report of Nipah death has reinforced the vampire’ image of bats in society, 91-year-old Arakkal Madhavan, who has been studying bats for more than 50 years, has not lost his enthusiasm for these unique flying mammals.
Madhavan, who is probably the first chiropterologist (bat scientist) in Kerala, says bats have a crucial slot in nature’s life cycle. Many insectivorous bats make significant contributions in reducing the pest attack in crops.
Pointing out that the insectivorous bats cannot see and detect obstructions in their flying path by emitting ultrasonic sounds, he said the studies on such bats have also given interesting insights into the development of sonar radars used in the aviation sector.
He said that there are some similarities in the reproductive systems of humans and bats. The female bats can hold spermatozoa (sperm) in their uteruses in a hibernated condition so that they (the sperms) start multiplying after copulation when the weather conditions become conducive. “Even though it was believed that such a phenomenon occurs only in cold countries, my studies had established that this was happening among Indian bats as well. There were reports that studies are going on in China on the reproductive systems of the bats, which can give insights into the research on the erratic menstrual cycle among some women,” Madhavan explained.
Madhavan, now residing at his ancestral house at Venginissery in Thrissur, developed an interest in bats when he was studying for a degree in the early1950s. His teacher Balakrishanan Nair, who was also interested in bat studies, was his inspiration. Madhavan took PhD from Nagpur University in 1969, under Dr A Gopalakrishna, one of the pioneering scientists in bat studies in India. He was dean of the faculty of science time at the Marathawada (presently Marathwada-Ambedkar) University, Aurangabad and a teacher at Bharath Matha College in Thrikkakara from 1970 till his retirement in 1987.
Madhavan was rearing about 50 bats at his home at Venginissery at one point of time. Now he has a stock of only about five bats. “Age is catching up now, and I'm not doing much research. Of late, I have developed interests in literature, and I’m writing poetry now. But bat studies continues to be my primary concern,” he said.
Madhavan’s daughter is a research scholar in bats in Canada.
