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Context: The Nilgiris’ only colony of Indian fruit bats, one of the largest bat species in the world, is under threat from local residents who want the trees they roost on to be cut down.

Nipah virus scare

• Cases of Nipah virus were reported in Kerala, and fears that the bats carry zoonotic diseases that are transmissible to humans.

About Indian fruit bats:

• The bats, also known as flying foxes, have been seen in the same area in Coonoor for the last few years.
• The bats play a crucial role in the health of local ecology as they are seed dispersers of many varieties of fruit-bearing trees.
• This species is often regarded as vermin due to its destructive tendencies towards fruit farms, but the benefits of its pollination and seed propagation often outweigh the impacts of its fruit consumption.
• The Indian flying fox is found across the Indian Subcontinent, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Tibet, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• IUCN Status: Least Concern

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/stigma-of-disease-carriers-threatens-nilgiris-only-colony-of-indian-fruit-bats/article36599717.ece?homepage=true

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