Wild Animals

Wild Bat White Nose Syndrome Welfare

White-nose syndrome caused by an introduced fungal pathogen has killed over 90% of some bat species in affected North American caves.

Key Facts

White-nose syndrome has killed over 6 million bats since 2006
Infected bats wake during hibernation and deplete fat reserves fatally
The fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans spread rapidly across North America
Biological controls and probiotic treatments are under active research

Welfare Considerations

Dying from white-nose syndrome involves repeated premature arousal from hibernation, followed by starvation as fat reserves deplete during winter. Mass mortality events in caves represent a welfare catastrophe for billions of individual animals beyond the population consequences.

What You Can Do

Never enter caves where bats hibernate without proper decontamination protocols
Support research funding for white-nose syndrome biological controls
Advocate for cave access restrictions during bat hibernation periods
Build bat boxes to support non-hibernating bat populations through summer