Gorakhpur (UP), May 26 (PTI) A large number of bats were found dead in Gorakhpur's Belghat area on Tuesday morning, triggering panic among residents.

The villagers were apprehensive as bats have been linked to the raging coronavirus pandemic, but forest officials said that prima facie it appears the animals died due to excessive heat.

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The bat carcasses were sent to Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly for examination to know the exact reason behind their death, they said.

"I noticed many bats lying dead near a mango tree in my orchard this morning. Adjacent to mine is Dhruv Narayan Shahi's orchard. We noticed that a large number of bats were lying lifeless and many more were dying," Pankaj Shahi of Belghat said.

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“We informed the forest department and they took the dead bats and asked us to keep water for them as they could have died due to extremely hot weather," he said.

After getting information, Khajni forest ranger Devendra Kumar reached the spot.

"The bat carcasses are being sent for examination. Prima facie it seems that the bats died due to excessive heat and lack of water as ponds and lakes in the area have also dried up,” he said.

An intense heat wave is currently sweeping northern India with the mercury crossing 45 degrees Celsius mark in many areas.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Avinash Kumar said that the reason behind the death of bats can be clearly stated once they get a report from IVRI.

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