More than three million bats live in the caves of Calakmul. To avoid being eaten by predators, they form a living tornado, or “bat volcano,” when they fly. In this whirling mass, it’s almost impossible for their predators to choose a target.
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TRANSCRIPT
- [Narrator] Predators are gathering.
It's called the bat volcano because every night it erupts.
This is one of the greatest bat colonies on earth.
Perhaps as many as 3 million bats live here.
To avoid being eaten, they form a living tornado 200 meters tall.
In this whirling mass, it's almost impossible for their predators to choose a target.
But the bats must head to their feeding grounds and they start to peel off across the forest.
Now the hunters can strike.
One bat narrowly escapes.
Others aren't so lucky.
Bat falcons and brown jays also swoop in to make their kills.
But nothing can dent the swarm.
They're heading for the corn fields across the forest.
There, they will devour 20 tons of insect pests.
