Reported by Manoj Kumar Ojha
Doomdooma: The bat colony at Bormurah Miripathar in Tinsukia district, one of upper Assam’s notable wildlife congregations, is facing a steady decline due to urban expansion, tree felling, and habitat loss.
Conservationists and residents say that without urgent protection, the colony may disappear in the coming years.
The site is located at Dhola Bazar under the Saikhowa forest range of the Doomdooma Forest Division, around 50 kilometres from Tinsukia town and about 7 kilometres from the Bhupen Hazarika Setu. It is known for its evening bat emergence.
Every dusk, thousands of Indian Flying Foxes (Pteropus giganteus), locally known in Assam as Borbaduli or Baduli, fly out in large groups. Their movement creates a visible pattern in the evening sky.
“When someone sees this colony for the first time, the experience becomes unforgettable,” said Abhinav Sarma, a resident of the area.
“The sky darkens with thousands of bats moving together in perfect rhythm. Compared to many declining colonies elsewhere, these bats still appear remarkably strong and healthy,” Sarma added.
Residents and nature enthusiasts say the area once had many large bat colonies on old trees across Doomdooma and nearby regions. Over the last two decades, tree loss due to logging, urbanisation, storms, and limited replantation has reduced their habitat.
“Earlier, massive trees across Doomdooma sheltered huge colonies of bats,” recalled an elderly conservation-minded resident.
“Most of those trees have disappeared now. Either they were cut down or destroyed during storms, and no serious plantation followed. What we are witnessing at Bormurah today is the slow destruction of one of the last surviving colonies,” she added.
The Indian Flying Fox plays an important role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration. However, in India it is listed under Schedule V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 as vermin. While the species is classified globally as “Least Concern” by the IUCN, experts say local populations in Assam are declining due to habitat loss.
Wildlife observers estimate that several bat colonies in upper Assam have declined by about 70 to 80 per cent over the past twenty years.
Conservationists are seeking notification of the Bormurah site as a community reserve, restrictions on tree felling, scientific monitoring of the colony, and plantation of native roosting trees such as banyan, peepal, and silk cotton.
Environmentalists say the Bormurah colony is more than just a bat congregation. It is a local ecological landmark and part of the region’s natural biodiversity.
Without conservation measures, they warn that bat activity over Bormurah may gradually disappear, marking a further loss in the region’s environmental landscape.