The photo of the “man-sized” flying fox (fact check)

We are currently receiving inquiries about a photo that is circulating on the Internet and shows a rather large flying fox.

The fact check

The photo has been circulating since at least 2018. ( we reported ) The photo did not come from WUHAN, but from the Philippines and shows a flying fox. Specifically, the golden-crowned flying fox , which is one of the largest bats in the world. It is native to the Philippines and occurs throughout the entire archipelago, with the exception of the island of Palawan.

They reach a body length of up to 29 centimeters and the wingspan is 1.5 to 1.7 meters. An adult animal weighs between 0.7 and 1.2 kilograms. They feed exclusively on fruits and vegetables, and their favorite food is figs.

But it's not just the golden-crowned flying fox that can get that big. The Kalong and Indian giant flying fox reach similar dimensions.

The fact that the flying foxes appear so monstrous in the photos is also due to the perspective. In photography you can make a lot of things appear larger than they actually are. For example, through the so-called “ forced perspective” .

Nevertheless, a bat measuring almost 30 centimeters in size is very impressive. And also worth protecting, because the golden-crowned flying fox is threatened with extinction.

Due to the progressive destruction of its habitat and hunting for its meat, populations in many regions of the Philippines have declined and in some places it has already disappeared.

Result:

It is a flying fox and not a bat. But even though it has a fairly large wingspan, it is questionable whether the term “man-sized” is appropriate. Through the magic of photography, the golden-crowned flying fox appears even larger than it actually already is.

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