BC's bat protectors need your help to track white-nose syndrome

Photo: Contributed

British Columbia's bat protectors are warning against white nose syndrome, a fungal disease responsible for the death of millions of bats in eastern North America.

As spring rolls around B.C. bat researchers are hoping the public will once again be on the lookout to help identify the presence of the fungus, a very worrisome threat to the health of B.C.'s bat population.

"White nose syndrome is spreading on the west coast," said Ella Braden with the B.C. Community Bat Program. "WNS is confirmed to the west and east of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, just 150 km south of the B.C.-U.S. border."

Braden says the disease has a near 100 per cent mortality rate for some species of bats exposed to the fungus, including the local little brown bat.

Detection of WNS in B.C. is challenging because bats hibernate singly or in small groups across the province. This means that identifying and tracking the spread of the disease relies heavily on public assistance.

“To monitor the spread of the disease, we need more eyes on the ground. Outdoor enthusiasts and homeowners with roosts on their property may be the first to find evidence of trouble,” says Braden.

Braden says symptoms of the disease include bat activity in the winter and the appearance of dead bats outdoors as they succumb to the effects of WNS.

“We encourage the public to report dead bats or sightings of winter bat activity to the BC Community Bat Program toll-free phone number (1-855-922-2287 ext 13), website, or email. Bat carcasses will be submitted for testing for white-nose syndrome and would provide the earliest indication of the presence of the disease in B.C.,” said Braden.

Although devastating for bats, WNS does not affect humans.