Accra, May 27, GNA - Pruning and felling of some of the trees on which fruit bats hang within the premises and island street in front of the 37 Military Hospital will begin on Monday, May 31 from 0800 to 1600 hours.

A statement issued in Accra on Thursday and signed by Mrs Vivian A. N. Nuhu, Acting Executive Director of the Ghana Wildlife Society, said a permit to proceed with the exercise had been received from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to cover a two-month period. It said the exercise was one of the recommendations of the Inter-sectorial Committee set up after high public outcry against the military in November 2002, for shooting and killing thousands of fruit bats on the hospital premises during the Close Season. The statement said, at present most of the bats were on their seasonal migration and would be returning by early July when the entire exercise would be over.

It said the military was organising the exercise under the technical direction of the Department of Parks and Gardens with the full supervision by the Wildlife Division and the EPA. "Though this may not completely dislodge the fruits bats from the hospital area, there is bound to be a reduction in their "nuisance," the statement said.

It said every effort had been made to ensure a smooth implementation including the security of any bats present, human presence and that of vehicular traffic. The statement said already planting of new plants was ongoing in addition to some awareness creation programmes to educate and inform the public.