Krishun Karau
02-23-2011
References:
Bat Conservation International Website
Wisconsin DNR Website
Wisconsin Bat Monitoring Program Website
Wisconsin Bats Are Soon To Be Under Attack
Bats across the nation are in danger and the perilous path of White Nose Syndrome is making its way towards Wisconsin populations. Many of our winged friends are falling victim to this lethal fungus that forms on the faces of hibernating bats. WNS was first discovered in New York in 2006 and has spread to 16 other states since then, and Canada as well. It’s been reported that mortality rates have reached numbers close to 100% in some infected caves.
An unfortunate and often ignorant retort from many people is “Yeah, who cares?” And to that I say “many people actually, myself included, lots of animals and plants, and you should too!” Of course it’s no secret that bats have received a bad rep from years of media portrayal as evil doers in horror flicks; then there’s the common misconception that they all carry rabies; and don’t forget the “ew factor” because let’s face it, these guys aren’t exactly the most cute and cuddly things in the world. I’m not going to dance around it, I find many of the species to be ugly as sin, but that’s not the point.
The point is that these animals are amazing and unique. They are the only mammals capable of true flight, they use echolocation to call to each other and find prey, and they can alter their physiology to insane measures to survive in the winter; greatly dropping their body temperatures and delaying their fertilization.
Bats are also essential to their ecosystems. They play a huge role in insect control. Not just pesky mosquitoes that plague our daily lives but detrimental pests that have the potential to destroy agricultural crops as well. In fact just one little brown bat, which happens to be native to Wisconsin, can consume over 1000 bugs in a single hour. Some bats also help pollinate plants, and others aid in seed dispersal.
Even the famed vampire bat has its beneficial uses. The anticoagulant found in its saliva has been used in many medical treatments all over the world!
Also to clear up some confusion about bats and rabies, let it be known that most bats do not carry rabies and a majority of deaths that result from rabies each year are usually do to contact with infected dogs. According to Bat Conservation International “In the United States from 1995 through 2009, an average of two people per year have died of rabies associated with bats”.
Clearly bats do a great deal for us and the environment, and they are in trouble and need our help. Especially in right here in Wisconsin, which has the largest concentration of bats in the upper Midwest. Our DNR has listed four of our cave dwelling species as threatened species and has also listed the fungus that causes WNS as a “prohibited invasive species”. These listings have been implemented in hopes to control possible transport of the fungus, monitor bat caves that have been infected or the potential to become infected, and take action if need be.
The Wisconsin DNR has also suggested several ways that you can help! Build a bat house! Volunteer to take part in acoustic bat house monitoring! Contact the Wisconsin Bat Program if you know of an area were larger numbers of bats exist! See a more extensive list at the Wisconsin Bat Monitoring Program Website; http://wiatri.net/inventory/bats/index.cfm.
3 comments:
Like most epidemics, I doubt that prevention will work. Eventually even isolated populations will be infected. This is what happens even with relatively immobile plant communities. The only answer is a cure. In the form of a medicinal application or even a genetic resistance, but I see little logic in spending large amounts of money on postponing the problem. I like bats but the money spent on them better do work!
I totally agree that bats are very important and people should be taking action to help prevent the spread of the fungus. However, it seems that there is a lack of a true idea on how to really prevent this pandemic. I don't quite follow how housing bats prevents the spread of the disease. Like Frederick stated above, the only answer is a cure and then the implementation to reach all the bats. I know when I was in Germany this summer, I learned that to get rabies incidents down in the fox populations, they left numerous piles of meat that had the vaccine in them. Once the fox started eating the meat, somehow the vaccine would shoot out and theoretically hit and immunize the fox. If there was a cure found out for the White Nose Syndrome, they may lessen money and time costs through some similar implementation.
Lauren Casterline
An important topic, Krishun. Fascinating critters--I used to have an old house on Briggs St. and one night I watched a bat push through a hole in the screen that was no more than a half inch across. Cool to watch. But then I had to catch it, put it back out, and patch the screen...
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