Chasing Bats Through the Total Solar Eclipse of 1980
Some adventures remain etched in memory not because they were outstanding expeditions, but because they were undertaken with youthful curiosity, a touch of rebellion, and an unshakable belief that science begins with observation. One such unforgettable experience for me was the Total Solar Eclipse of 16 February 1980, when three young friends set out to study the behaviour of Fruit Bats in Hyderabad.It was way back forty-six years ago.
I was then in the final year of my B.Sc. at Nizam College, Hyderabad. My close friends, Mukund Kulkarni and Vijay Anand, shared my fascination with birds, wildlife, nature and even photography. We were enthusiastic amateur naturalists, forever carrying notebooks, binoculars and cameras in search of something unusual to observe. We were also part of the Corbett Nature Club in Hyderabad, one of the many nature clubs across the country that were associated to the World Wildlife Fund [WWF] with its headquarters in Delhi. Around that time, the editorial team of WWF Newsletter had invited readers to send in interesting observations made during the forthcoming Total Solar Eclipse. That challenge ignited our imagination.
Photographs by Vijay Anand, Mukund Kulkarni and N.Shiva Kumar
Kulkarni, the most methodical among us, proposed that instead of merely watching the eclipse like everyone else, we should observe how wildlife reacted to the sudden darkness. We knew that Fruit Bats, unlike birds, followed remarkably precise routines, emerging from their daytime roosts only at dusk. If daylight suddenly disappeared in the middle of the afternoon, would they mistake it for evening? Would they leave their roosts? How long would they remain active? None of us knew the answer. That uncertainty made that mini experiment irresistible.
Our study site was a large colony of Fruit bats roosting on the majestic trees around the College campus overlooking the Musi River at City College. Fortunately, the present generations of Fruits Bats still thrive at the same location even though a few of the tall trees were cut and a new building has come in the campus. We spent seven days preparing our observation sheets, estimating the normal roosting and take-off times, arranging our cameras and binoculars, and discussing how we would record every minute of the eclipse.
Unlike today, there was no internet or social media to provide accurate scientific information. Newspapers, Radio broadcasts and Television carried conflicting reports about the dangers of the eclipse. Our best source was the daily newspapers and science magazines published in those days. Some warned that looking at it would cause permanent blindness. Others repeated traditional beliefs that it was an ominous event best experienced indoors. Fear spread rapidly across the city of Hyderabad and in the 1980 there was approximately 2.50 million peoplecompared to an estimated 11 million people today in 2026.
We chose Fruit Bats for our study because they are the world’s only true flying mammals and their lives are governed by an extraordinarily precise biological clock. Living in large communal roosts, they emerge almost exactly at dusk, making them ideal subjects to study the effects of the sudden darkness caused by a Total Solar Eclipse. Scientists have long used Bat colonies to understand social behaviour, communication and group dynamics, where the actions of a few individuals can influence an entire colony. Beyond their fascinating behaviour, Fruit Bats are vital pollinators and seed dispersers, silently sustaining forests and ecosystems that ultimately benefit both wildlife and humankind.
On the forenoon of the eclipse, the city resembled one under curfew, the roads were deserted. Buses had stopped running. Trains were suspended. Shops had their shutters firmly down. Many homes had their doors and windows tightly closed. People remained indoors, waiting for the celestial event to pass. Only an occasional stray dog or wandering cow broke the eerie silence. I had never seen Hyderabad so lifeless.
My mother pleaded with me not to venture outside. She worried about my safety and feared the stories circulating everywhere. But youthful curiosity is often stronger than caution. I was determined not to miss what promised to be a once-in-a-lifetime scientific opportunity.Fortunately, we had a landline phone at home to communicate with my friends who were partners in my prudent-science-wise-crime.
My classmate Vijay arrived on his scooter and picked me up from Mehdipatnam. We rode through the deserted streets to Abids, where Kulkarni was waiting near a photography shop. I had only one roll of black-and-white film and suddenly realised it might not be enough as it would take only 36 clicks. Every shop around us appeared tightly shut. Refusing to give up, we knocked persistently on the shutter of a photo studio until the surprised owner reluctantly opened it just enough for us to buy another roll of film. That single extra film roll would later preserve some priceless memories.
Three young men, squeezed onto one scooter, carrying cameras, notebooks, binoculars and improvised eclipse viewers made from exposed photographic film strips stuck to goggles, then headed towards the Bat colony. Looking back, we must have appeared rather eccentric, but at that moment we felt like explorers setting off on an important scientific expedition albeit within the city ecological environs.
As the eclipse progressed, daylightdwindled, slowly faded into an unfamiliar twilight. The temperature dropped perceptibly. Shadows softened and colours lost their brilliance. Then came an extraordinary stillness that I have never experienced before or since.The colony of Fruit Bats began to stir, a slow murmur like sounds of confusion was heard and there was a commotion much later. Normally quiet through the afternoon, they became restless, stretching their wings and communicating to one another. As the darkness deepened towards totality, many Bats actually left their roosts and began flying exactly as they would at sunset, convinced that evening had arrived. We carefully noted the timing of every movement, recording when the first Bats became active and when they took flight.
The birds around us reacted just as dramatically. Sparrows and Myna’s hurried back to their favourite branches, filling the air with their familiar evening chatter. Other birds disappeared into the trees, preparing for what they believed was nightfall.Then, scarcely twenty minutes later, nature was thrown into confusion once again.
As the Moon moved away from the Sun, daylight rapidly returned. The bats, having ventured out expecting darkness, appeared hesitant and uncertain before gradually returning to their roosts. The sparrows produced a chorus unlike anything I had ever heard. Their cheerful evening calls transformed into bewildered, almost frantic chatter, as though they simply could not understand why night had suddenly become day again. It took nearly twenty minutes before they settled down and resumed their normal daytime activities.
Watching that “second sunrise” remains one of the most magical spectacles me and my friends have ever witnessed.The Total Solar Eclipse in India happened on February 16, 1980, with the overall event across the country running from approximately 2:09 PM to 5:01 PM IST, and totality peaking in the late afternoon around 3:30 PM to 4:40 PM IST. The 1980 total solar eclipse, known as SuryaGrahanin local parlance ofIndia was visible during the afternoon hours. However many if not most of Indians missed this celestial event excepting a few organised by scientists where due care was taken not to harm the eyes. After the event we spent hours organising our notes, comparing timings and carefully documenting our observations. Our photographs and field records were sent to the WWF Newsletter in the form of an article as requested.Weeks later came the news that delighted us beyond words.
Our report had been selected as the second-best wildlife observation from across India and was published in a full-page format of the WWF Newsletter. For three novice students, like citizen science enthusiasts, armed with little more than curiosity, notebooks and determination, it was a tremendous honour. It validated our belief that meaningful science does not always require sophisticated laboratories or expensive equipment. Sometimes all it demands is careful observation, patience and the courage to ask an unusual question.
After the 1980 event most Indians moved away from the fear of the solar eclipses and ventured to witness these rare occurrences. For those who would love to witness a Solar Eclipse the next solar eclipse will be visible from Hyderabad will be a partial solar eclipse on August 2, 2027, when about 30% of the sun’s surface will be covered at its maximum point. Nowadays many Astronomers and Star Gazers travel across countries and continents to actually witness a total solar eclipse happening as it is marvellous celestial event that does not happen regularly.
The total solar eclipse of 16 February 1980 cast not only a shadow across India but also revealed the deep hold of tradition and belief on society. I vividly remember Hyderabad wearing an eerie silence that afternoon. Many feared that looking at the eclipse would bring misfortune or even blindness, beliefs rooted in centuries-old traditions and the ancient view that celestial events influenced human destiny. Astrology had long shaped everyday life in India, from fixing wedding dates to deciding auspicious occasions, and eclipses were regarded with particular awe. While most people sought safety behind closed doors, my friends and I stepped out, driven not by superstition but by curiosity, determined to witness how nature itself would respond to this extraordinary celestial spectacle.
Today, more than four decades later, people often ask me whether eclipses really affect birds and animals. I simply smile, because I do not have to rely on theory or textbooks.I saw it happen.I watched fruit bats mistake afternoon for dusk. I watched Sparrows and Myna’s and Parakeets return to their roosts, convinced that night had fallen. And I witnessed their utter bewilderment when the Sun returned, giving them what seemed like a second dawn in a single day.The eclipse lasted only a few minutes.But the memory has illuminated my life for over forty years.
– N Shiva Kumar
