Judean date palm 2005, before knowing the gender of the palm tree, Dr. Solowey was hoping that it would turn out to be female, for which there was a 50% chance, because that would have allowed it to give fruit; on the contrary, "if it's a male, it will just be a curiosity." Methuselah flowered in March 2011 and is male. As of 2012, there were tentative plans to crossbreed the palm with what was considered its closest extant relative, the Hayani date from Egypt, to generate fruit by 2022. By 2015 Methuselah had produced pollen that has been used successfully to pollinate
Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat under palm fronds, in dense forests near rivers, under thatched roofs of sheds, and, rarely, in caves. Roosting groups may be 3–100 individuals. Bats typically change roost locations daily or every few days and may fly as far as 4 km (2.5 mi) to feeding areas. Roost locations may follow the ripening of fruit trees. Alternatively, frequently changing roost sites may be a strategy to decrease predation. Females travel greater distances to feeding areas early in the night while males travel farther closer to dawn. Roost trees may be shared with other "Epomophorus" species, though roosting groups are formed by