Bat Crazy

The morning of Feb. 16, 2006, wasn't any warmer or colder than usual at Howes Cave. It was a bit icy and gray -- typical of a New York winter -- but there was no foreboding, no sense of doom. There was nothing to suggest this caving expedition would be anything more than a chance to enjoy a warm cave full of hibernating bats.

That was until the caver stumbled upon a scene he did not expect.

Bat carcasses littered the floor of the cave. Covered in a strange white coating, their bodies malnourished, their wings paper-thin. Above the caver, bats, many with the same white spots, hung squeaking and fidgeting -- when they should have been quiet and still. It was a photo of these bats that would reveal an emerging disease that would ultimately take the lives of 6.7 million bats in America.

"It was a rare fungus that just popped up less than 10 years ago," says Harry Harnish, retired park interpreter at Devil's Den State Park. "They just found some dead bats, found the fungus. That was in 2006, in only one cave. Now it's in 25 states."

The fungus, pseudogymnoascus destructans, is better known as white nose syndrome, and it spread like a wildfire. At epidemic speeds, the fungus traveled to other caves, out of the Northeast and into the Midwest. In 2013, the fungus was confirmed in Arkansas.

And while the fungus is not harmful to humans, it is easily spread from cave to cave via people's shoes and caving gear, Harnish says. Before the fungal spores were found in Arkansas, however, Devil's Den State Park managers took protective measures to ensure the safety of the state's hibernating bats: They closed the caves.

"The caves are really fascinating, so not being able to go into them is disappointing," says Rob Mies, TV personality and executive director of the Organization for Bat Conservation. "I have always loved hiking into Devil's Den. But we don't want to disturb them. They are using up all their energy to recover from the fungus."

The death of so many of these animals is a concern for wildlife officials, not only because of the potential loss of species, but due to the ecological impact of a vast reduction in bat population, Mies says.

"People think that bats aren't good for anything, but really, they are incredibly beneficial," he says. "They are the primary predators of nighttime insects, eating up to 1,000 every night." Bats are also pollinators of fruit plants worldwide, including agave, which is only pollinated by bats, he says. "Without bats, there is no tequila."

"There are 1,200 species of bats," says Harnish. The University of Arkansas graduate began working at Devil's Den in 1985 and says he knew the basics about bats, but he soon found out the caves housed endangered bats. After reading up on the fascinating animals, he felt it was important to educate the public. "There are still the majority of people who do not know anything about bats, so I was hoping to educate and help the bats at the same time."

The first Bat-O-Rama was held in 1990, and in its third year "really took off," says Harnish. "This year, my talk will focus on the effects of white nose syndrome. Hopefully white nose syndrome will run its course soon and stop its deadly trek across North America."

"They are fascinating creatures," Mies says. "I will be bringing some live bats with me, like the large flying fox bat. They have fun personalities much like a primate. These bats come when they are called and know their names. They are incredibly intelligent and trusting.

"So few people understand bats," he continues, "They think things that just aren't true. Bats are not blind. They're not going to get tangled in your hair. They have a low rate of rabies, and very few even get diseased. Hopefully people will leave with a little more understanding about these animals -- maybe even go home and build them a bat house."

NAN What's Up on 06/13/2014