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Tonga had a large population of indigenous "flying foxes."
These critters were most active at sundown when there would be several flying over my fale at any one time. These bats had wing spans that could approach six feet in length! The Tongan boys would make long bamboo spears (twenty feet plus in length) and try to spear them out of the sky for sport. I always suspected that some of the bats found their way into the umu for Sunday's faka'afe feast. Yum, yum, bats sauteed in coconut cream!
This picture reminds me of our time in Tonga and all the sights, sounds, and smells (both good and bad) of our happy days living in our adopted country.
These critters were most active at sundown when there would be several flying over my fale at any one time. These bats had wing spans that could approach six feet in length! The Tongan boys would make long bamboo spears (twenty feet plus in length) and try to spear them out of the sky for sport. I always suspected that some of the bats found their way into the umu for Sunday's faka'afe feast. Yum, yum, bats sauteed in coconut cream!
This picture reminds me of our time in Tonga and all the sights, sounds, and smells (both good and bad) of our happy days living in our adopted country.