Bats provide enormous ecosystem services through insect control and pollination, yet face threats from white-nose syndrome, habitat loss, and human persecution based on fear and misinformation.
Bat welfare is an underexplored area given the scale of suffering involved. White-nose syndrome causes massive die-offs with infected bats dying in cold, slow, and visible distress as they burn fat reserves during hibernation. Wind turbine strikes cause acute injury and death. Exclusion from roosts during maternity season results in pup starvation. Bats have been shown to have complex social communication and individual recognition, suggesting their suffering during mass mortality events is more significant than often recognized.