White-nose syndrome has killed over 90% of some North American bat populations. The disease causes prolonged suffering and mass mortality, raising both conservation and welfare concerns.
White-nose syndrome causes a particularly prolonged form of suffering. Infected bats experience repeated arousal from hibernation — each event burning precious fat reserves — and deteriorating wing membrane that impairs flight and water balance. Death occurs from starvation after fat reserves are exhausted, a process taking days to weeks. The mass die-offs documented in hibernacula represent some of the most severe wildlife welfare events in recent North American history. Beyond individual suffering, the ecosystem consequences of bat population collapse — reduced insect control affecting agriculture and human health — illustrate the interconnection between wildlife welfare and ecological function.