Bats face severe welfare threats from white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has killed millions of North American bats, and from roost destruction across their range.
Bats experiencing white-nose syndrome die from starvation and hypothermia after repeated unnatural arousals from hibernation. The death toll — millions of individuals — represents enormous welfare suffering at a population scale. Beyond disease, bats are routinely killed through roost destruction in buildings, often illegal but difficult to enforce. Their ecological services — insect control and pollination — underpin agricultural systems globally. Protecting roost sites, supporting white-nose syndrome research, and rehabilitating injured bats are direct welfare interventions with ecosystem-wide benefits.