Exotica in the City of Bats Bats

There is a unique sight that welcomes you when entering the heart of Soppeng District, South Sulawesi, located in District Watang Soppeng.
The noise of thousands of bats, or also called fruit bats, with a distinctive aroma that will sting you feel easily when set foot there. This scene became a separate exotica. Colonies of thousands of bats which later became landmarks Soppeng District known as the City of Bats.
It is not known exactly when exactly bats-bats began nesting on the trees that line the streets of the city Watang Soppeng. However, the District believes in the existence of bats Soppeng whose face resembles a rat has been since hundreds of years ago.
Apart considered a "keeper" of the city Watang Soppeng, if the bat-bat went for a long time, people believed a sign of coming disaster in the area.
"In fact, if there is a virgin or young people from outside the area who was passing under a tree and put to bat urine, the girl is believed to be married to someone Soppeng," said Gappar, local residents, to Kompas.com Wednesday (18 / 5 / 2011).
Although located in the midst of hectic urban bat Soppeng still hanging in the trees without being disturbed. Soppeng natural scenery will look more exotic evening. Simultaneously, the colony of bats take off the grip of a tree branch and covered the sky and flew Soppeng.
Watang Soppeng is about 150 kilometers, north of Makassar. "Interestingly, bats, bats can only be found hanging in the trees along the city Watang Soppeng. Soppeng In other areas, the landscape is not obtained," said Gappar again.
Head of Culture and Tourism Soppeng Zainuddin said the colonies of bats, both when flying to find food when the sun will sink and when dawn approaches, the main attraction of the tourism sector in the area.
Local and foreign tourists are deliberately waiting for the bats flying over the sky at dusk Watang Soppeng. "This is a natural tourism potential to be one of the sectors of local residents supporting the increase interconnected economy," he said.
"Exotica bat to pull tourists to stop perpetuating colonies, or simply look at the activity of bats whose numbers continue to grow and is estimated to have reached thousands of tails," said Zainuddin again.
Meanwhile, Nana, Pinrang residents who claimed first-time visit to the area, claimed was horrified when he first set foot in this city. Smell which also had a chance to make his stomach felt queasy. "But after a closer look, it is also unique," he said briefly.