Preservation of endangered bats become subject of school’s doco

For their participation in this year’s Kula Film Awards, Dreketi Central College has created a documentary focusing on the need to preserve the endangered bats found in Nakanacagi, Dreketi.

Since this is their second year in the Kula Film Awards, teacher Archana Chand said the crew wanted to alert the public about the endangered bats.

“The bat is famed to settle in the volcanic cave in Nakanacagi, Dreketi in Vanua Levu, thus the Nakanacagi people are the only known people acknowledged till date for the survival of this species,” Mrs Chand said.

“Thus it becomes our responsibility to protect it.”

This bat species has been known to be harvested for meat, thus making it endangered.

The documentary titled “Unperturbed God’s Creation” would bring forth the survival

of bats which belong to the family of Molossidae of which two species are known to be in the South Pacific, namely the Solomon Mastiff bat prevalent to the Solomon Islands and the Fijian free-tailed bat. Mrs Chand reiterated that they wanted their message to be heard to help save the endangered species.

“If we win then it will be a bonus for our school and the district of Dreketi, but if we don’t, our message is to be spread across the nation that we are all part of God’s unique creation that demand respect and the right and responsibility to preserve its creation,” said the language teacher. “Last year, we were nominated for the best script, but this year we have not received any nominations yet. However, we want our students to be exposed to such creativity.”

The Dreketi-based school will also feature art pieces in the Kula Art Competition.