Bats beware: a fungus that can spread a deadly bat disease known as white-nose syndrome (WNS) has been found in two caves in Minnesota, and scientists have linked it to the decline of local bat populations in eastern portions of the U.S. and Canada, CBS Local reports.
The fungus has been found at the Soudan Underground Mine State Park and Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
"This is bad news for an important mammal in our ecosystem," Steve Hirsch, director of the DNR's Ecological and Water Resources Division, which oversees the agency's nongame wildlife program, told CBS Local. "We're prepared with special protocols to help keep the fungus from spreading."
WNS is mostly fatal to hibernating bats, and according to the Duluth News Tribune, the illness has been called the "worst wildlife health crisis in memory."
Though only a few bats in Minnesota have tested positive for the fungus so far, wildlife experts worry that it will be present in local Minnesota bat populations within two to three years. Currently the state is home to seven species of bats, four of which hibernate during the wintertime. A wintering concentration of bats is known as a "hibernaculum," and an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 bats live along the Soudan Mine park.
WNS was first observed in 2006 in a cave in upstate New York, the Duluth Times reports, and has since spread to 22 states across the U.S. and five Canadian provinces, reducing bat populations by as much as 71 percent in some states. In certain cases, nearly 100 percent of cave-dwelling bat populations have been decimated by the disease.
In March, WNS was found to be present in Georiga for the first time, and in April, WNS was detected in Collier Cave in northwestern Alabama.
Luckily, WNS is not known to pose any threat to other wildlife, nor is it potentially dangerous to humans. However, WNS.org urges you to take precauations when visiting affected caves and mines, as biologists and researchers wear protective clothing when handling or entering bat caves.
Bats represent an astounding 20 percent of all classified mammal species worldwide, with around 1,240 distinct species divided into two suborders. They range in size from mere inches (Kitti's hog-nosed bat) to up to 5 feet, 7 inches across (giant golden-crowned flying fox).
The DNR asks if that you happen to spot a bat flying during daylight hours, clinging to trees or building exteriors in winter or showing any white fuzz on their muzzles, to contact the DNR Animal Report Line at (888) 345-1730 or go to www.mndnr.gov/reportbats for more information.
