Wildlife

Bat Conservation and Welfare

Bats face numerous threats including habitat loss, wind turbine strikes, pesticide poisoning, and the devastating disease white-nose syndrome.

Key Facts

Over 1,300 bat species exist — nearly a quarter of all mammals
A single little brown bat can eat 1,000 mosquitoes per hour
White-nose syndrome has killed over 90% of some North American populations
Wind turbines kill an estimated 600,000 to 900,000 bats annually in the US
Bats recover slowly from population crashes due to single-pup birth rates

Welfare Considerations

Individual bats in distress are commonly found on the ground, unable to fly due to injury, disease, or pesticide exposure. White-nose syndrome causes bats to wake repeatedly during hibernation, burning fat reserves until they starve. The welfare and conservation dimensions of bat decline are inseparable: slow reproductive rates mean population losses translate to decades of suffering-scale consequences.

What You Can Do

Install bat boxes on your property to provide roosting habitat
Support white-nose syndrome research and treatment programs
Reduce pesticide use that depletes the insects bats depend on
Contact wildlife rehabilitators if you find a grounded bat rather than handling it