Bat behaviour: NTUC FairPrice not amused by banana-stealing bat

All it wanted was some food, but one bat became the unwitting star of a viral video when it was caught red-handed engaging in some "bat" behaviour at an NTUC FairPrice outlet.

The crime? Stealing bites from a bunch of bananas in plain sight.

The store, located at 345 Jurong East St 31, has since discarded all affected fruits and moved all its fruits inside the store, NTUC FairPrice said in a statement on today (Oct 16).

The 15-second clip of the bat chowing down was uploaded to Facebook page All Singapore Stuff this morning, where it garnered over 800 shares at the time of writing.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/allsgstuff/posts/3437527239721314[/embed]

Right off the bat, netizens were tickled by the furry critter and sympathetic to its quest for food.

Alas, it appears that the bat will have to satisfy its midnight munchies elsewhere. 

A FairPrice spokesperson explained that the incident had occurred outside the store, where its fruits were displayed.

Apologising for any inconvenience caused, they added, "We have since moved all fruits inside the store to prevent future occurrences, and checks have also been made to ensure any fruits affected have been discarded.

"We are also in contact with the authorities to look into the cause for the presence of bats in the area."

The issue of wild bats showing up in housing and urban areas isn't new.

Just last month, residents in Boon Keng were advised to hang shiny objects at their doors and windows to ward bats off after numerous complaints of them flying into homes.

Another recent video shared by a Toa Payoh resident showed a bat feasting on her bananas in the wee hours of the morning.

While there's no evidence of local bats carrying the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, residents who chance upon bats in their home should be aware that the critters can spread other viruses through their faeces, several experts told The Straits Times last month.

Any secretions or contamination from the bat should be cleaned up as soon as possible.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com