Giant bat makes comeback in Tanzania (Pemba flying fox fruit bat, 5-foot plus wingspan)
Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 10/30/08 | Reuters
OSLO (Reuters) – A giant bat with a wingspan up to 5.5 feet has made a comeback from the brink of extinction in Tanzania in a rare conservation success, an environmental group said on Friday.
Numbers of the Pemba flying fox, a type of fruit bat, have risen to 22,000 since it was rated critically endangered two decades ago when "only a scant few individual fruit bats could be observed," British-based Fauna and Flora International said.
In a release coinciding with Halloween, it said that the bat's maximum wingspan was "greater than the height of the average British woman."
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And the bat probably has better teeth.
I think this is the bat they used in DEVIL BAT with Bela Lugosi. These suckers are humongous.
Hey, that movie was first out in 1940! You are a true and knowlegdable film fan darkseid. Hats off to ya!
Grew up in the movie theatres, literally. Saw several per week in theatres from the late 40s through about the early 90s when they started to suck more and I became a bit more choosy. Also watched every movie I could on television, especially in its early days. Real Father died early of polio, so I guess films filled the void, dunno. Obviously, using and abusing that bat for a film would have been long before they became endangered. You couldn't get away with using one today, probably, unless you used special handlers.
Not to mention the ASPCA and the Humane Society. One of my all time favorite old movies is "The White Cliffs Of Dover". What a saga. It was released in 1944 and starred Irene Dunn. I don't know if you can get it today or not. Haven't checked in a while. I'd love to have it. I didn't spend much time in movie theaters but saw every old movie shown on TV starting in the early 50's. Those from immediately pre and post war, roughly 1938 to 1950 are in a class by themselves. I watch them every chance I get.
I thought Irene was another hottie. I obtained her autograph a few months ago.
Hey Thanks! Always trying to give family meaningful but inexpensive Christams gift ideas. Top of the list! Irene Duun! Now that's special. On a photo?
No, on an album page, but a nice photo came with it. I also acquired two super-tough ones this year (album pages)-Florence Marly & Tallulah Bankhead. If you want, I can give you recommendations of reliable autograph dealers I do business with, both on and off FleaBay.
I've never actually bought an autograph. I would like to get movie posters or lobby cards though. The art work is incredible. Do you collect any of those?
On second thought there is one autograph I would be interested in - Vincent Price.