White-nose syndrome spreads to Canadian bats

Canadian Wildlife Federation reports in the article Is this Goodnight? that a fungal disease decimating hibernating bat populations in the United States has spread to Canada. White-nose syndrome spreads easily in cool, damp environments such as bat caves. It disrupts hibernation patterns causing high rates of mortality, for reasons as yet unclear. Researchers see little hope of mitigating the disease and warn that populations of the little brown bat may decline to 1 percent of current levels within a few years. Scientists are trying to get the little brown bat listed as an endangered species, which would make additional research funding available. The fungus affects other North American bat species that hibernate.

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