Giant Bats

Giant bats are cryptids reported across Oceania, Africa, and even parts of South America, where locals tell of winged creatures with wingspans far beyond any known fruit bat. In Papua New Guinea, legends of the "ropen" describe a nocturnal, bioluminescent flyer that some claim glows while hunting fish or small animals. Elsewhere, witnesses describe leathery shapes sweeping overhead large enough to rival eagles, accompanied by unsettling screeches. Scientists usually chalk up these accounts to misidentified large bat species or exaggerations of silhouetted birds at dusk. Nevertheless, stories of giant bats persist, merging humanity’s fear of night predators with fascination for creatures that blur the line between mammal and myth. They stand as eerie reminders that the skies themselves can harbor mysteries as compelling—and unsettling—as anything found in dark forests.