White Nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that affects hibernating bats. It has devastated bat populations in eastern and Midwestern North America. Bats were first observed sick and dying from the disease in 2007. Since then, millions of bats have succumbed to WNS.

 

Bats are fascinating animals that provide us with many ecosystem services including insect control, flower pollination and seed dispersal. As visitors to caves, we must act responsibly to help protect bats and their habitat.

 

To learn about what you can do, visit whitenosesyndrome.org. To learn how to effectively decontaminate clothing, shoes and gear, see the National White-Nose Syndrome Decontamination Protocol.