Thailand hunts for crowned bats to verify if they carry Covid-19 virus

BANGKOK (Xinhua): Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on Sunday (June 14) told the media that it had instructed its officials to hunt for crowned bats to verify whether they carry the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic virus.

"Since last week, we entered a cave in Khao Soi Dao wildlife sanctuary, in the eastern province of Chanthaburi and have captured up to 100 crowned bats," said Pattharaphol Manee-on, head of the wildlife health management section under the ministry's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation during a press meeting.