Bats provide essential ecosystem services and face severe threats from white-nose syndrome, habitat loss, and wind turbine strikes. Their welfare and conservation are closely intertwined.
White-nose syndrome creates welfare suffering of enormous scale: bats dying of WNS experience prolonged starvation during winter hibernation, rousing from torpor when temperature cues are absent, burning energy reserves, and ultimately dying of hypothermia and starvation in late winter. Individual bats observed dying of WNS show clear signs of distress. The scale — millions of animals over the years of the epidemic — is comparable to major livestock disease events in total welfare impact. Research into probiotic treatments and fungicide applications to hibernation sites is ongoing and showing some promise. Roost protection for surviving populations is critical, as disturbance of maternity colonies during pregnancy causes mass pup mortality. Compassionate management of roost sites in buildings — excluding bats in autumn after pups are independent — prevents needless reproductive failure.