White-nose syndrome has killed over 6 million North American bats since 2006, causing immense suffering and ecological harm to insectivorous bat populations.
White-nose syndrome causes welfare harm through a slow, energy-depleting mechanism. The fungus irritates hibernating bats causing repeated arousal during winter when no food is available. Each arousal depletes critical fat reserves until bats emerge emaciated in winter conditions where insects are absent and die of starvation and exposure. This drawn-out process of depleted energy and cold exposure causes genuine suffering across a disease front moving steadily westward across North America. The ecological consequences of losing insectivorous bats compound the welfare tragedy.