Experts warn against felling trees due to fear of bats

Deepthi Sanjiv | TNN | Apr 22, 2020, 04:36 IST

Mangaluru: The fear of contracting Covid-19, which spurious reports have suggested originated among bats, has triggered a strange reaction in various parts of Karnataka: Many people have taken to felling trees that they believe are used by bats for nesting. Environmentalists and veterinarians fear that such a thoughtless move could severely affect the ecological balance. Bats, experts pointed out, fulfilled a key ecological responsibility through their involvement in pollination, seed dispersal and pest control.
Dr Shrikrishna Isloor, associate professor and director of the KVAFSU-CVA Rabies Diagnostic Laboratory, Veterinary College in Bengaluru, dubbed reports of residents chopping trees that attract bats in Mysuru and Theerthahalli in Shivamogga unfortunate. “People are panicking because ‘Corona’ is common in both causative agents of Covid-19 virus and the bat CoV. Many strains of coronavirus affect cattle, dogs, cats and birds. But these different strains are not infectious to human beings,” he said.
Scientific investigation conducted thus far indicates that the transmission chain of the virus hinted at the involvement of bats, but it was more likely that an intermediate animal was involved, he said. “Research conducted Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)- National Institute of Virology, Pune study shows the presence of a different kind of Coronavirus (Lineage ‘D’ of Beta Coronavirus) found in two bat species in India, where as the causative agent of Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) belongs to Lineage ‘B’ of Beta Corona virus. Furthermore, this Bt CoV has not been detected among the flying mammals in the state,” Dr Isloor added.
Core member of the United Conservation Movement Sandeep Anirudhan attributed it to fear psychosis. “In our country, ecological literacy can be found only among 3 to 4% of the populace. We need to understand that bats are key to the survival of human beings,” Anirudhan said.