Ngeleng Paliyan Cave

Ngeleng Cave is one of the horizontal caves in the Mulusan Village, Paliyan District, Gunung
Kidul Regency, DIY. When viewed from above, this cave does look like a vertical cave. However,
basically, Goa Ngeleng is a horizontal cave which has a roof collapse in the middle so that it
forms a kind of doline (basin). To reach the bottom of the cave, can go through two roads,
namely vertically through the mouth of doline, or take a path that can be reached by walking
about 1 km. Doline walls have varying heights, ranging from 40 meters to 80 meters on the
highest wall. At the base of doline there are large stones which are the remains of the ruins of
the roof of the cave. In doline walls, vegetation is quite dense and is dominated by liana plants,
suppliers, and ferns. At both ends of doline, there is a horizontal cave. The first horizontal cave
is an entrance with a 70 meter long hall and roof height of approximately 40 meters and the
second horizontal cave has a hall length of about 300 meters with an entrance height of
approximately 80 meters and ends at a sump.

The bottom of the Ngeleng Cave is a river flowing into the second horizontal cave. If you want
to reach the bottom of the cave by the path, we must pass through the river. In the dry season,
the river will dry up. However, major floods can occur if we enter the rainy season. After
walking for about 1 km, we will find the mouth of the first horizontal cave. The first horizontal
cave is only a natural bivouac and around 40 meters we will go back out and that is where we
are at the bottom of the doline which looks from above. Doline Goa Ngeleng is quite extensive.
Its diameter can reach 100 meters. During the rainy season, the rocks at the bottom of doline
can be very slippery so we must be careful because the road is uneven. After walking
approximately 100 meters, we will find the mouth of the second horizontal cave which is about
80 meters high.
In the second horizontal cave, there are rocks that are large in size and have overlapping holes,
causing the road to be traversed is very uneven and quite dangerous. During floods, the large
 stones are even covered with water and are not visible. This form causes a fairly heavy flow of
water when flooding. On the roof near the second horizontal mouth, there is often a very large
bat colony, a colony of the species Chaerephon plicata. This colony sometimes moves to deeper
parts if circumstances threaten. The number of individuals of this species is approximately 350
thousand. In addition to bats, there are many types of soil Atrhropoda at the bottom of the
cave, including cricket caves, cave spiders, shrimp, etc. The base area of the bat colony is a very
popular place for these cave creatures because it is full of bat droppings (guano). Guano is rich
in phosphorus which is one source of nutritious food for insects. During the dry season, guano
depth can reach 40 cm with a very strong odor, so it is recommended to use a mask soaked in
water for those who are not used to it. After passing through a bat colony near the mouth of
the cave, the floor of the cave is clean and the inner cave is still long.

The people around Goa Ngeleng have one of their livelihoods, which is catching bats in Goa
Ngeleng. Every day, around 5-6 families will stand guard on the edge of doline around 17:00
WIB and await the release of bats which will later be caught by using a fishing net scattered on
the top of the cave. Every day, each family is able to get 100-200 bats which will be traded for
various purposes, such as medicine or daily food. These long-term community habits will result
in a large population decline in this species. This must be anticipated with an understanding of
the community about the importance of the role of bats in the ecosystem so that these species
remain sustainable.