White-nose syndrome has killed over seven million bats in North America, causing massive individual suffering and population collapse.
Individual bats dying from white-nose syndrome experience progressive starvation and immune system failure. Bats roused repeatedly from hibernation by the fungus burn through their winter fat reserves and face starvation and exposure in the middle of winter when no insects are available. The suffering is widespread — millions of individuals across dozens of species — and the ecological consequences of bat loss cascade through insect pest control and pollination.