Bats are keystone species providing vital ecosystem services, facing multiple threats to their welfare including roost disturbance, white-nose syndrome, and wind turbine collision.
Bats represent an often-overlooked welfare and conservation priority. Their nocturnal habits and frequent association with human buildings means they coexist closely with people, but often without adequate protection from disturbance. Hibernating bat colonies are particularly vulnerable — arousing from torpor burns energy reserves equivalent to 10-30 days of normal winter fat, meaning repeated disturbance can cause starvation before insects return in spring. White-nose syndrome has caused catastrophic mortality in multiple North American species, representing both a massive welfare loss and an ecological crisis as bat populations collapse. Wind turbine placement without adequate bat activity assessment causes large-scale collision mortality that is preventable through siting guidance and turbine shutdown protocols.