Bats face multiple threats including disease, habitat loss, and wind turbine mortality. Conservation efforts protect both bat welfare and the ecosystem services they provide.
Bat welfare deserves consideration both on its own terms and because bat conservation protects the ecological services on which billions of other animals depend. White-nose syndrome causes significant suffering as the fungus disrupts hibernation, causing bats to deplete fat reserves and starve before spring. Individual bats rescued from dangerous situations or disease deserve appropriate care through trained bat rehabilitators. Conservation measures that reduce population-level mortality reduce aggregate suffering.