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Creature index / Winged things

Ahool

Also called Athol, Giant bat of Java, Java giant bat

A giant bat of Java with a monkey-like face and a 10-foot wingspan.

The ahool is a giant bat said to live in the rainforest of western Java. It is named for its call, a long 'a-hoool'. Witnesses describe a grey, furry flier with a wingspan of about 10 feet, a flat monkey-like face, big dark eyes and clawed forearms.

Naturalist Ernst Bartels said one flew right over him while he was exploring Mount Salak in 1925, and that he heard the call again from his home two years later. Ivan Sanderson thought it was an unknown species of bat. Bartels himself later wondered if it might be a large owl. Fruit bats in the region are big, but none come close to the size claimed.

What witnesses report

  • A loud "a-hoool" call at night
  • A 10-ft wingspan
  • A monkey-like face and grey fur
  • Seen skimming over rivers

Famous cases

  1. 1925Bartels sighting on Mount Salak
    West Java, Indonesia
  2. 1927Bartels hears the call again
    Near the Tjidjenkol River, Java

Seen the Ahool?

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