CHENNAI: Considering the 25,000 kinds of bat species as 'holy', a village in Coimbatore has been prioritising a safe habitat for bats over the annual Deepavali celebration, where the main draw is firecrackers.

Sulur, a village with over 100 families, hasn't been bursting crackers for 22 years lest the bats would get disturbed. The banyan and tamarind trees, considered sacred, in the village are the shelter for bats.

The villagers have been demanding the setting up of a sanctuary for these bats in Sulur, this would help increasing the population of these winged mammals and also would help people getting educated about different species.

Adding to the bat-friendly acts, the villagers also ensure that irrigation and planting of trees are done regularly.

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