She said they started coming to her house 20 years ago.
Meet the real life Batwoman.
Shantaben Prajapati, of India, lives with 500-1,000 bats on any given day in her home.
The nocturnal mammals started roosting in her house more than 20 years ago and while that might seem like a nuisance to the average homeowner, Prajapati says she doesn’t want them to leave.
"These bats live in old mud houses. Due to all the new construction, they started coming into my house as mine was the only mud house left." Prajapati said. “At first, I tried to remove them, but it is considered a sin, so I let them be. I have had them for all these years in my house and I look after them. There was only one bat at first. Then the numbers slowly started to increase."
Prajapati, 73, lost her husband at a young age and now spends her days taking care of the bats and doing chores to clean up after them.
“I can barely walk but I have to clean the house every day. Even though I find it difficult sometimes, I don’t mind,” she said.
She is known affectionately as “The Bat Lady” around her village.
“People ask why I keep the bats and say that I will fall sick and my house will stink," Prajapati said. "But burning the leaves and swabbing the floors and walls takes care of it. And how can I get rid of the bats? They are like family now.”
The mom-of-four said she even gave birth to one of her children in the “bat room.”
“There were a few bats at that time. My children and grandchildren are scared of them and don’t enter the rooms anymore. But I am not scared of them. Every day I pay my respect to them,” she said.
Although the noise of the bats keeps her up, she tries to take naps during the day.
”When the time comes, they will go away," she said. "Let them live here for as long as they want. I really love them."
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