Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), May 27: Even as the research community has concluded studies on bats as the carrier of coronavirus, the dead bodies of around 52 bats at an orchard in an Uttar Pradesh has left people in shock on Tuesday. The owner of an orchard in Belghat area found a few bats lying dead and immediately informed the forest officials, according to new agency IANS.

Once the forest official team reached the spot, more bats were found dead from the trees taking the total count up to 52 in the orchard.

Three of the bat carcasses were sent to Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly to initiate examination and verify the reasons behind the death.

"The deaths could have occurred due to the heatwave or even pesticides. It is not right to link the death to Corona right away," according to Avanish Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer who informed the agency.

The incident has left the villagers in the neighbouring region in shock as they started to come out with different theories in connection to the death of the bats.

One of the senior citizens said that the officials are trying to cover up the issue because earlier also the region has experienced heat wave but rats never died in such a large number. He raised suspicion about something amiss while saying it is not possible that 52 bats drop can be dead within an hour.

Another villager apprehensive about the situation from a nearby region blamed the incident to coronavirus outbreak.

He mentioned about watching on television that bats are responsible for the Coronavirus and stressed that officials must take this incident seriously and act accordingly.

While another resident connected it to mythology and said the death represents the ominous sign. Believing it to be representatives of Goddess Laxmi, the resident said one needs to see that mankind is facing the wrath of nature in form of extreme cold and now the heatwave conditions, the coronavirus outbreak and then the locust attack. All these including the death of bats hint at the worrisome situation while insisting on organising rituals to atone for their sins and ask for divine intervention.

However, Dhruv Narain Shahi, the owner of the orchard didn’t comment on the incident.