Over 200 bats found dead in a Bihar village, doctors collect their swabs for testing

A team of doctors from Bihar government’s animal husbandry department on Tuesday confirmed reports of mass death of bats near Ara in Bhojpur district. The swab samples of the dead birds are being sent to Patna for testing and doctors said any reason for their death could only be attributed after the test reports are obtained.

The team of doctors visited Tarari, 55 km south from Bhojpur district headquarter of Ara after getting information about the death of hundreds of bats there.

As per locals, a large number of bats were found dead in Tarari on Monday, following which the animal husbandry department was informed. The district animal husbandry officer Dr Sidh Nath Rai said that the team of six doctors who visited the incident site on Tuesday reported about the death of around 200 bats there.

He said that the swab samples of dead bats have been taken and it will be sent to the Institute of Animal Health and Production situated in Patna for testing.

The bizarre incident has generated even more curiosity as it comes amidst the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic which has been linked to bats.

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The district animal husbandry officer said he could only speak about the reason of the deaths after getting the medical report from Patna. However, he said that the incident does not seem to be connected with bird flu. Bats are mammals and bird flu is not known to spread in high temperatures like at the present.

The dead bats have been buried five to six feet deep in the ground following all the medical procedures. The incident site and all the nearby places were also sanitised.