Recreationists asked to help protect bats from white-nose syndrome

Wyoming Game and Fish is asking cavers, climbers and explorers to clean their shoes and gear both before and after visiting caves after white-nose syndrome (WNS) was identified for the first time in Carbon and Platte counties.

WNS, a disease that has been devastating for bats across the nation over the last few years, is already known to be present at Devils Tower.

Cleaning gear helps to prevent unintentional spread.

WNS erodes the skin of hibernating bats and causes them to wake up more often, taking up valuable energy. It kills bats through exposure or starvation when they leave the hibernaculum in search of food in the winter.

WNS does not affect humans or pets.

“It’s another disappointing — but not surprising — discovery for Wyoming’s bats. We know white-nose syndrome is moving to the west and additional spread within the state is likely,” said Zack Walker, Game and Fish non-game supervisor, in a press release.

“The disease has killed millions of bats across the continent and could have significant impacts on local populations. Bats are an important species because they are an incredible predator of insects.”

The disease has spread quickly – and killed quickly – since it was first discovered in 2006 in New York. Since that time, it has spread west across the nation, as well as north into Canada.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), WNS was confirmed in northeast Wyoming by the winter of 2020 to 2021.

The national White-nose Syndrome Response Team reported in June that wildlife researchers had confirmed the presence of WNS in bats at Devils Tower – the first confirmation of the disease in the state. This made Wyoming the 37th state to confirm the presence of the disease.

“Past experiences show that when the fungus is detected it takes approximately two years for the beginning of population loss from white-nose syndrome. We’ll continue to monitor this location and other hibernaculum closely,” Walker said.

WNS was discovered at Devils Tower through surveys completed last May, when bats were captured and sampled to test for the fungus. This was done in collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish as part of an ongoing regional surveillance project funded by the National Park Service.

As well as cleaning your shoes and gear, the public can assist by not taking gear or clothing that’s been in an area affected by WNS to places free of the fungus; checking canopies, umbrellas and other items for bats before packing up; staying out of closed caves and mines; and reporting dead or sick bats in the winter and spring to Game and Fish through 307-332-2688.

Meanwhile, the Wyoming Working Bat Group, which includes state and federal wildlife and land managers, researchers, local conservation districts, non-governmental organizations and cave recreation groups, has developed a strategic plan to combat WNS in Wyoming.

According to that plan, WNS is believed to, “have the potential to affect many of the bat species that occur in Wyoming, including species that have yet to be exposed, and evidence from portions of North America where WNS has occurred for some time suggests that most hibernating bats may potentially face large declines.”