Hyderabad: Friday morning’s strong winds led to some heart-wrenching sights outside the city’s NTR garden on Friday morning.
The road outside the park was littered with broken branches and many small fruit bats still hanging on to them. While many of the mammals had survived the night, there were a few holding on despite broken wings and legs. But a large number, simply didn’t make it through Thursday’s storm. They either died due to electrocution or were crushed under the broken branches.
Reports of dead or injured birds are coming in from other parts of the city too. But only a very small group of officials from the forest department’s anti-poaching squad were out in the city to help stricken birds and animals. Outside NTR park for example, no one from the city’s many animal rights groups or rescuers were present to provide the injured bats relief.
Many who were called for comment were not even aware of the situation. An official of the forest department’s anti-poaching squad said, “It would have been better if the GHMC had informed us before they decided to sweep away the broken trees into a heap outside NTR park. Some of the bats were buried in the heap.”
On Friday, forest officials also rescued seven black kites near LB Stadium and one injured peacock.
