White-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats in North America, causing significant individual suffering and devastating ecosystem consequences.
White-nose syndrome causes prolonged, distressing suffering for individual bats. The disease disrupts hibernation, causing bats to rouse repeatedly and burn through fat reserves needed to survive winter. Affected bats emerge from caves in winter — sometimes visibly on snowy days — emaciated and dying. Death is slow and includes starvation, hypothermia, and organ failure. The scale of mortality has been enormous, but the individual welfare cost of the dying process is also significant. Conservation responses that prioritize individual welfare alongside population recovery include the development of probiotic and UV light treatments that can be applied to hibernacula to reduce fungal burden, and cave management practices that minimize disturbance during the vulnerable hibernation period.