Šišmiši nisu krvožedni vampiri!

Šišmiši nisu krvožedni vampiri, nego indikator čistog i zdravog okoliša! Međunarodna noć šišmiša u Nacionalnom parku "Krka".

Šišmiši nisu krvožedni vampiri! NP "Krka"

Kada smo bili mali u večernjim satima smo nerijetko promatrali let šišmiša tamo gdje smo živjeli. Njihove kolonije smo često pronalazili u zvonicima rijetko korištenih crkava, u starim i napuštenim kućama..., no danas je takvih kuća u ruralnim dijelovima naše zemlje nažalost sve više, a šišmiša sve manje. U posljednje vrijeme ih rijetko, ili gotovo nikako, ne susrećemo premda su oni svojevrstan indikator čistog i zdravog okoliša.

Foto: NP "Krka"
Ipak, valja reći da su šišmiši s više od 1.000 vrsta druga najveća skupina sisavaca na Zemlji, dok u Hrvatskoj obitavaju ukupno 34 vrste iz tri porodice (potkovnjaci, golorepci i mišoliki šišmiši). Oni su kao takvi prisutni u većem dijelu svijeta i obavljaju vitalne ekološke uloge oprašivanja cvjetova i raspršivanja voćnog sjemenja. Šišmiši su, dakle, važni s ekonomskog ali i zdravstvenog aspekta, jer uništavaju insekte koji znaju prenositi razne bolesti, smanjujući tako potrebu za uporabom pesticida, insekticida...

Kao i u drugim europskim zemljama u Hrvatskoj su šišmiši zaštićeni Zakonom o zaštiti prirode. Tim propisom strogo je zabranjeno uznemiravanje, hvatanje, ozljeđivanje i ubijanje šišmiša, te uništavanje ili oštećivanje njihovih staništa i za to su zapriječene visoke novčane kazne. A da bi se ljude osvijestilo u smislu važnosti očuvanja šišmiša kao ključnih bića u našem ekosustavu čast obilježavanja Međunarodne noći šišmiša ove godine pripala je Nacionalnom parku "Krka", što je upriličeno u petak (30. kolovoza 2023.god.) podno Skradinskoga buka.

Foto: NP "Krka"

Edukacija kroz igru i zabavu

Posjetitelji svih uzrasta su tamo od 10:30 do 15 sati mogli uroniti u fascinantni svijet šišmiša kroz raznovrsne edukativne igre, radionice i aktivnosti naučiti puno toga o šišmišima – jedinim letećim sisavcima. Na prigodnim dekoracijama i informativnim natpisima istaknuti su načini na koje šišmiši pridonose ekosustavu. Tako su, između ostalog, saznali da šišmiši imaju ključnu ulogu u regulaciji populacije komaraca jer se njima hrane u velikim količinama, što ih čini važnim prirodnim kontrolorima brojnosti tih insekata.

▪ Stručnjaci su izračunali da šišmiš u jednom satu može pojesti nekoliko stotina komaraca, čime pridonosi održavanju ravnoteže u prirodnom okruženju. Za mlađe posjetitelje osmislili smo interaktivne igre poput "šišmiš-ribolova", "šišmiš-lova" i "slijepog poligona". Naravno, te igre su ih potaknule na istraživanje šišmišjeg svijeta i razumijevanje njihovih navika i ponašanja. Oni stariji mogli su se okušati u kreativnom šišmiš-kutku, gdje su kroz crtanje i izradu različitih rukotvorina upoznati s tim neobičnim životinjama – objasnili su iz NP "Krka".

Razbijanje mitova i predrasuda

Međutim, Međunarodna noć šišmiša u NP "Krka" bila je prilika i za razbijanje mitova i predrasuda o šišmišima. Jedan od najčešćih mitova je taj da su šišmiši slijepi, što je potpuno netočno: njihov vid, iako ograničen, nadopunjen je nevjerojatno preciznom eholokacijom. Također, šišmiši nisu krvožedni vampiri kako se prikazuju u popularnoj kulturi. Samo tri vrste šišmiša, koje žive isključivo na području Srednje i Južne Amerike, hrane se krvlju, dok se većina hrani kukcima, voćem ili nektarom.

Foto: NP "Krka"

Inače, organiziranjem spomenute manifestacije pod sloganom "Dajmo više za šišmiše" Javna ustanova "Nacionalni park Krka" nastoji istaknuti biološku važnost tih sisavaca i tako pridonijeti očuvanju njihove populacije. Pritom se posebna pažnja posvećuje špiljskoj fauni, koja je u dinarskom kršu iznimno bogata. Špilje u tom području nastanjuju mnoge endemične vrste, a i šišmiši su važan dio tog podzemnog ekosustava.

Šišmiši u NP "Krka"

Zanimljivo je da je NP "Krka" dom 17 vrsta šišmiša, što je otprilike polovica ukupnog broja vrsta šišmiša zabilježenih u Lijepoj Našoj. Ta je raznolikost pokazatelj izuzetne ekološke važnosti Parka. Špilja Miljacka II, smještena u blizini Burnuma, jedno je od najvažnijih staništa šišmiša u Europi, s kolonijom dugonogih šišmiša koja broji oko sedam tisuća jedinki.

▪ Naš Park nije samo zaštićeno područje, već i centar za istraživanje i očuvanje šišmiša. Tijekom 2023. godine provedeno je, u suradnji s tvrtkom Geonatura d. o. o., praćenje populacija šišmiša za sezonskih migracija. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo nekoliko speleoloških objekata, među kojima su Velika pećina Kaočinka i Topla pećina, koje su se pokazale kao važne tranzicijske postaje za šišmiše – poručuju ovogodišnji organizatori Međunarodne noći šimiša.

Špiljska fauna – bogatstvo Dinarida

Špilje dinarskog krša, uključujući one u NP "Krka", spadaju među najbogatije na svijetu po broju špiljskih vrsta. Te životinje, prilagođene životu u podzemlju, razvile su specifične karakteristike, poput redukcije organa vida i gubitka pigmenta. U Parku živi oko 170 špiljskih vrsta, od kojih su mnoge endemi Dinarida, a četiri su stenoendemi samog Parka.

Foto: NP "Krka"

Važnost tih jedinstvenih ekosustava prepoznata je i na razini Europske unije: brojni speleološki objekti u u našoj zemlji proglašeni su područjima od interesa za očuvanje ugroženih vrsta i staništa unutar ekološke mreže Natura 2000. Na popisu ciljnih vrsta te mreže nalazi se i 12 vrsta šišmiša zabilježenih u NP "Krka".

Zaštita šišmiša – zajednički zadatak

Unatoč njihovoj iznimnoj važnosti, šišmiši su danas jedna od najugroženijih skupina životinja na svijetu. Razlozi za to su brojni: gubitak staništa, krčenje šuma, intenzivna poljoprivreda, razvoj turizma i drugo. Na globalnoj razini, 20 vrsta šišmiša izumrlo je u posljednjih 50 godina, a 25 posto preostalih vrsta je ugroženo.

Foto: NP "Krka"

S obzirom na sve te izazove, očuvanje šišmiša postaje prioritet. Svaki posjetitelj NP "Krka" može dati svoj doprinos očuvanju tih itekako korisnih bića – bilo sudjelovanjem u edukativnim programima bilo podržavanjem napora za očuvanje njihovih staništa. Organizatori ove manifestacije vjeruju da je svaki njen posjetitelj, uz bogat program aktivnosti, pronašao ponešto za sebe i kući otišao s novim znanjima i uspomenama koje će ih trajno podsjećati na važnost očuvanja prirode i njezinih skrivenih čuvara – šišmiša.

Tekst: © Mirko Crnčević

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