A Giant Bat Went Viral Thanks to a Clever Photograph

X (Twitter) // @AlexJoestar622

Most people don’t imagine bats to be the size of a big bird, let alone a bat that comes close to the size of some humans, yet there are in fact bats that grow to such sizes, and a picture of a human-size bat recently went viral on the internet. The bat was photographed in the Philippines, where it’s a native species, and many people couldn’t believe it was real.

A Human-Sized Bat

The cute and now-famous bat was photographed hanging upside down and is from a very real species called the golden-crowned flying fox or the golden-capped fruit bat. Despite its size, this bat is not dangerous at all because it mainly eats fruit and doesn’t attack humans.

The picture shows the bat hanging upside down outside of someone’s house and was shared on X. While some have pointed out that this bat and bats from its species are not actually human-sized, they certainly are among the largest bats in the world. The reach of its wings can go up to five-and-a-half feet wide and it grows to be around a foot tall.

An Endangered Species

In this particular picture, the bat looks even larger due to the way the photograph was taken. It was done using forced perspective, a technique that can make an object look massive or small when its actual size is different and can be observed from a different perspective. The same technique was used when shooting The Lord of the Rings to make the hobbits seem small compared to everyone else.

X (Twitter) // @Factsonfilm

The giant golden-crowned flying fox is majestic and beautiful, but there is also a sad part to its story. The species is classed as endangered, and it’s largely due to deforestation and the fact that humans hunt the animal for food. As it turns out, this gentle giant poses no danger to humans, but rather it’s the humans who pose a danger to it.

Rules for Booking a Private Dining Room — or Even a Whole Restaurant

Pexels // Vidal Balielo Jr.

Who doesn’t love going places with friends and family on the weekend or for special events? A nice restaurant in town is the perfect place to gather everyone together and have a great time. However, you’re always sitting near strangers you don’t know. So what happens if you want the entire dining room or even the whole place to yourself? There are a few factors you need to consider.

Talk to the Restaurant in Advance

Check with the place first. Maybe they don’t offer such luxuries as booking the entire place for yourself and your party. On the other hand, they might jump at the chance. After all, it could be beneficial to them to know for a fact they’ll have a certain number of guests that day. It’s better than counting on a random night and hoping enough people will come in to call it a good evening. Check with the manager, and they’ll let you know if it’s possible.

Along similar lines, it’s no small feat to ask a restaurant for a private room or the entire space just for your special event. Keep in mind that you’re probably not the only one with that thought. Restaurants get booked months in advance, so if you’re trying to set something up so big up for the following week, you may be out of luck. Be sure to plan ahead.

Decide on a Better Day of the Week

Have you thought about what day you might want to book a private room at a restaurant or the whole space? If you’re hoping to have the entire place to yourself, you may want to figure the cost into your calculations.

Pexels // Milan

If you choose a day during the week, it will be a lot cheaper than the weekend. Keep that in mind. It will be a better price if you pay them for the consumption they’ll have on a random weekday rather than the heavy pay they get on a Saturday night.

Respect How the Restaurant Works

When dealing with large groups of people, the restaurant will likely want to do a special set menu where the dishes available and the prices have already been determined. That means that if you have less guests than you expected, you’ll still need to pay for all the food.

Pexels // Jordan Rushton

In addition, while you may have the restaurant to yourself for the night or a private room, that doesn’t make you the boss! You should always respect the staff and the establishment. If you follow these tips, you shouldn’t have any trouble booking a restaurant for your next big event.