HikeArizona.COM

This is so far affecting the eastern caving community but could have SERIOUS RAMIFICATIONS if it continues to spread with the mass deaths of bats. Just an FYI for those of you who explore the underground, old mines etc.

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Officials Ask People to Stay Out of Caves Where as Many as 500,000 Bats Have Died

Thursday, March 26, 2009


ALBANY, New York — U.S. officials are asking people to stay out of caves in states from West Virginia to New England, where as many as 500,000 bats have died from a disease known as "white-nose syndrome."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the request to guard against the possibility that people are unwittingly spreading the mysterious affliction when they explore multiple caves. There is no evidence that white nose is a threat to people.

Named for the sugary smudges of fungus on the noses and wings of hibernating bats, white-nose bats appear to run through their winter fat stores before spring. It was confirmed in eight states this winter from New Hampshire to West Virginia and there is evidence it may have spread to Virginia, according to wildlife service spokeswoman Diana Weaver.

Some death-count estimates run as high as 500,000 bats. Researchers worry about a mass die-off of bats, which help control the populations of insects that can damage wheat, apples and dozens of other crops.

The advisory seeking a voluntary caving moratorium also would cover states adjacent to affected states — a swath of the United States stretching from Maine down to North Carolina and west to Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio, Weaver said.

Recreational cavers, who have enthusiastically supported past white-nose control efforts, seemed bewildered by the breadth of the request. Peter Youngbaer, white nose syndrome liaison for the National Speleological Society, said the advisory covers tens of thousands of caves and would affect everything from organized caving events to equipment sales.

"The ramifications are mind boggling, and I guess we're all just trying figure out what to do," said Youngbaer, who is based in Vermont.

"I think to great extent it will be followed, but there will be a lot of discussion and tweaking about it," he said.

Researchers suspect a fungus that thrives in cold, moist caves causes white nose and that it is spread from bat to bat. But the syndrome has spread more than 400 miles (640 kilometers) from the cluster of caves near Albany, New York, where it was first observed two winters ago.

This is a shame.

Global warming.

This has been big news for about a year here in NJ, where we've had several major die-offs, including caves that have endangered populations. The fungus has long been widespread and is probably more an indicator than the root cause of the problem. Climate change is indeed suspected as at least a contributing factor. Bats are becoming less dormant and active at a time when there's little or no food available. The metabolic deficit may impair their resistance to the fungus or make them suspecptible to other problems that are as yet unidentified.

Economy.

joe bartels wrote:Economy.

No foul language, please.

joe bartels wrote:Economy.

So how are humans to blame? Are people waking them up when they are supposed to be hibernating or something?

Seems to me dedicated cavers go to all the caves they can, possibly passing the fungus from one cave on their gear, shoes, etc? Is this the theory? Fungus spores would HIGHLY transportable, I would think.

Something like that was happening in the northwest, Oregon, etc. Hikers were passing some sort of plant disease via their boots. Now I can't remember what it was.

The spread of the spores on cavers' or their equipment is one thought. Of course the bats can have contact with others and or if disturbed seek another cave to roost. No one seems to know for sure.
Clothing usually isn't too much of a problem because most wear old clothes or thrift store items as they are soon worn out anyway. So changing and bagging clothes to be cleaned would be easy to do. Boots, outer jumpsuits and packs are probably the culprit.

The NPS has now closed caves in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (both the NJ and PA sides) to hopefully limit the spread of disease. They explicitly said the reason was to prevent tracking fungal spores. As I recall, the scientists who first publicized the disease stated that the fungus itself was common and the real mystery was what made the bats susceptible to its growth. That report also said the actual cause of death was unclear, and that the fungus itself was not necessarily fatal, but perhaps more of an indicator of some other problem. (Sorry, I'm repeating myself here).

Here's more bad news from NJ. The Hibernia mine in Rockaway, described as one of the region's largest bat hibernacula undergoes an annual census by zoologists from the Division of Fish and Wildlife. The normal count is 26,00-29,000. This year's count was 750. They're not sure whether the missing bats are all dead, or whether some may have left early but survived.