Wildlife photographer Hardik Shelat has once again shown that perseverance pays off with a series of incredible flying fox photos. Shelat photographed these exceptional animals, also known as Indian fruit bats, while they got a reprieve from the summer heat by splashing in a river. It's an exceptionally rare moment to capture, as these animals are nocturnal.
Shelat and his fellow photographers endured the scorching heat in Gujarat, India, with temperatures reaching over 110°F, to get the shots that he was after.
“It was a summer afternoon and we were on a day trip to click these amazing creatures, the fruit bat,” he tolds PetaPixel. “We waited almost two and a half hours with nothing to see in the intense heat. We were sweating it out and keeping ourselves hydrated by drinking water.”
Finally, the bats flew down from the trees to cool off, as the high temperatures forced them to make a daytime appearance to stay hydrated. For Shelat, it was a rare treat to see how active these nocturnal animals appeared, likely spurred on by the heat.
His photographs show the flying foxes, wings outstretched as they dip into the river. In photographing them, Shelat gives us a sense of their grandeur as one of the largest bats in the world. With a wingspan that stretches anywhere from 4 to 5 feet, it's an impressive sight.
For Shelat, watching them swoop down from the trees and splash into the water was a highlight that made the long wait in the heat well worth it. He hopes that viewers will appreciate the effort in giving this unique glimpse of a nocturnal animal that is active by day.
Hardik Shelat waited over two hours in scorching temperatures to photograph flying foxes cooling themselves in a river in Gujarat, India.
Also known as Indian fruit bats, they are nocturnal animals, but the summer heat causes them to wake and drink during the day.
