White-nose syndrome has killed over 90% of some North American bat populations since 2006. This catastrophic fungal disease causes immense individual suffering and threatens ecosystem services worth billions.
White-nose syndrome causes a prolonged dying process that represents significant animal suffering at massive scale. Affected bats arouse from torpor repeatedly during winter, consuming fat reserves faster than can be replenished without insects available for foraging. Bats leave hibernacula during cold weather and die of starvation and exposure, often displaying the erratic daytime flight that is characteristic of late-stage disease. Wing membrane damage causes additional suffering and impairs flight after apparent recovery. Conservation responses including probiotic treatment, cave disinfection protocols, and bat box provision can provide some welfare and population recovery benefits, but the scale of the crisis requires sustained scientific investment and international coordination on fungal spread prevention.