The Forest Department has issued directives against harming bats or destroying their habitat due to the misconception about its link with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Responding to reports in the media suggesting that fruit bats are harbouring the virus and concerns by people about possible transmission, PCCF (Wildlife) Sanjai Mohan said many living creatures harbour viruses and bacteria and they do not get transmitted to humans.
The recent discovery of COVID-19 in South Asian bats poses no known health hazard to humans. He said that even the ICMR head of epidemiology has clarified that there was no proof of COVID-19 transmission from bats to humans.
On the contrary, bats perform a vital ecosystem service as pollinators, seed disperses and insect pest controllers and killing bats was against the law, according to officer. He said wildlife trade and stressing wild population was at the root of virus spillover and one should wait for more research to address the problem.
All the DCFs across the State have been directed to inform the public against harming bats.
