JAJPUR: Following death of bats at Kabatabandha village in Jajpur’s Dharmasala block, local forest personnel have begun spraying water on the remaining ones for the last three days to save them from the intense heat wave condition.
Sources said at least eight bats have died within the last three days. “On being informed by locals, we reached the village and started spraying water on the bats to save them from the sweltering heat,” said forester Md Sakir Housen.
Since bats are night-dwellers, they remain hung on trees during the daytime. “They fall down and die when exposed to intense heat waves. So we will continue sprinkling water on them till weather conditions improve,” he added.
Sources said Kabatabandha village is considered a safe haven for bats and migrant birds where locals have for the last two decades, actively engaged themselves in preserving their habitats. “We try to protect bats because we consider them sacred to our villages. Besides, around 5,000 birds have been living on the trees along Brahmani river. We have made it a collective responsibility to safeguard these endangered animals,” said a local Rabindra Sahu.