Windowsills full of guano and bats in the false ceilings and shutter boxes. The situation of the elementary schools in via San Pietro a Tuili was not resolved after the sanitization intervention of the specialized company. The law protects animals, but these unwanted guests not only still create real mats of feces, but they also occasionally show up indoors. The head teacher Roberto Scema describes the situation as " paradoxical " and hopes that "this affair will push those with expertise in this field to build intervention protocols that protect bats without ignoring the right of pupils and school staff to live in a healthy environment" .

The consequences

The situation has persisted for months, but has now become unsustainable . Gianni Spiga, CGIL trade unionist , is worried about children and workers: «Safeguarding these bats is important, but so is the health of children and workers and no discounts can be accepted on this. It is essential to be able to transport them to their natural environment ." The presence of bats does not allow adequate ventilation of the rooms because, by opening the windows, you run the risk of the animals getting inside. Spiga suggests: «Children's fear must be managed with lessons on animals so that they can live with their fears». But the problem is not limited to fears alone. The ASL had pointed out that bats "are natural hosts of viruses from which epidemic strains capable of causing human diseases have evolved", as reported in a note from the Prevention Department. Spiga asks the local health authority: «How come they were found dead inside the school ? Are they suffering from any disease? ».

The story

The municipal administration, in April, had requested an inspection by the Local Health Authority and, consequently, the same had ordered an intervention of "extraordinary rehabilitation of all the areas using a company specialized in the subject capable of removing the settlement of the same, reclaiming the areas and removing the guano" and then "subsequently carrying out a thorough disinfestation and disinfection", is written in the note. However, when the Municipality had prepared the interventions between 26 and 30 April last, some environmentalist associations (Sardinia Bat Center and Tutela Pipistrelli) had pointed out to the mayor Andrea Locci that the animals could neither be moved nor eliminated , since they could commit a crime. «We asked for an inspection from the local health authority and they responded by arranging the interventions, but we were worried about the legal actions that could have arrived, so we only carried out a sanitisation of the premises – explains Locci -. It is clear that animals must be protected, but as mayor I must think above all about the health of my community and especially that of children. I don't understand what comes first, the health of children or the protection of bats ."

The issue, for now, remains unresolved: a solution is awaited that can balance the need to protect animals and guarantee a safe and healthy environment for children and staff.

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