Conservation groups are asking for Immediate Protections.
On Tuesday, conservation groups all across the country called for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to immediately close all bat hibernation sites in North America and withdraw all pending federal permits to "take" (re: harm or kill) imperiled bats until the cause of the deaths is known and subsequently mitigated.
The endangered "Indiana bat" is one of those species most at risk.
Despite limited details, scientists have given the unknown malady the name "white-nose syndrome" to describe a Fusarium mold that is exhibited around the noses of dead bats.
Scientists are now associating the syndrome with the discovery of thousands of dead bats in at least two Albany, New York-area caves last winter. The number of deaths accounted for roughly half of the total bat populations, and now the disease seems to be spreading. This winter, the "white-nose syndrome," was found on a bat in a cave located in Vermont.
The Environmental News Network (ENN) is currently running the story:
"Throughout the years, we have warned that the Indiana bat was one catastrophe from extinction. The public needs to know what the Fish and Wildlife Service is doing to meet this immediate threat," said Mark Donham, program director for Heartwood.
The Indiana bat is one of the most endangered terrestrial mammals in the world. It was first listed under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966. At least 700 individuals of this endangered and legally protected species have died in New York in the past 18 months. It is unknown if white-nose syndrome is the cause of the death or a symptom of what causes the death.
"Regardless of why these bats are dying, we must prepare for the worst," said Leigh Haynie, staff attorney for Center for Biological Diversity. "The Missouri and Kentucky populations of Indiana bats have been decimated; if the Vermont and New York populations of this endangered species are also dying, the Fish and Wildlife Service must take immediate emergency action to ensure this species does not go extinct. These are dire circumstances. The agency must act with all due haste."
The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit conservation organization with more than 40,000 members dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
Heartwood is a regional, nonprofit organization with a focus on environmental issues, particularly the protection of forests in the eastern United States. Heartwood is active in the protection of forests and native species of the eastern United States.
This from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website:
Hibernating bats in New York and Vermont, including endangered Indiana bats, are dying at an alarming rate, and we don't know why. While searching for the cause of the deaths, we have developed guidance for cavers to help reduce the risk of spreading contamination. The Northeast Region and the Midwest Region have additional information.
More links:
The white-nose syndrome mystery
The State of New York Department of Environmental Conservation is investigating the geographical extent of the outbreak in New York and has provided carcasses to several laboratories for analysis to help determine the cause of bat deaths. The bat conservation community is concerned and involved in exploring the possible cause of the disease. Cavers are coordinating with state biologists to help assess the situation. Now the focus is first on identifying the cause of the outbreak and the deaths, and second on learning how it spreads.
What can you do to help?
To help avoid potentially contaminating hibernating bats in caves and mines, the Northeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requests that individuals not enter caves or mines in Vermont and New York for the immediate future while the situation is being investigated. The Service is assessing the risk to bats in other states and is coordinating with state natural resource staff to determine the appropriate measures.
Endangered Species -- Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis):
Most bats affected to date are little brown bats, but the fungus has also been found on endangered Indiana bats, raising concerns about the impacts on a species already at risk. Other affected bat species include the eastern pipistrelle and the northern long-eared bat.
It's hard to comprehend how this affects humans outside of the so-far remote chance of white-nose syndrome morphing into a danger to humans in the future -- except for the fact that much like honeybees -- bats do pollinate plants, and also distribute seeds when defecating.
Please support the following wildlife conservation and environmental groups. (including the aforementioned) They really are on the proverbial front lines against both a rapidly changing world and a greedy, irreverent administration, concerned only about what can be squeezed and manipulated out of wildlife and our environment for financial and politically-strategic gain.
A piece of the Earth dies every time we lose a species.
• Wildlife Conservation Society
• Conservation International
• The Ocean Conservancy
• The Nature Conservancy
• World Wildlife Fund
• The Sierra Club
And, my personal favorite: (I've been a member since 2004)
• Natural Resources Defense Council
Peace