First detection of deadly bat disease on the West Coast of North America

WANTED: Reports of dead bats, and information on bat roost sites

Date: April 7, 2016. 

On 31st March 2016, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed that White-Nose Syndrome had been detected on a dead bat near Seattle, Washington. This is very worrisome for the health of bat populations in British Columbia. The BC Community Bat Program in collaboration with BC government and Wildlife Conservation Society Canada is developing a rapid response to this emerging crisis. 

“We knew this deadly fungus that kills bats was moving westward across North America” says Juliet Craig, Coordinator of the BC Community Bat Program, “but we thought we had many years to prepare”.

Currently there are no known treatments for White Nose Syndrome that can be used to save bats in the wild. However, mitigating other threats to bat populations and preserving and restoring bat habitat may provide bat populations the resilience to rebound from the mortality that may be caused by the disease. This is where the BC Community Bat Program and the general public can help. 

“Although White-Nose Syndrome affects bats in caves, it will be during springtime when bats return to building roosts that we have our best chance at detecting the presence of the disease, making the work of our community bat program more important than ever before” continues Craig.

Funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and the Habitat Stewardship Program, the BC Community Bat Program conducts public outreach activities, responds to public reports of roosting bats in buildings, promotes the installation of bat houses, and coordinates a citizen-science bat monitoring program. 

“We are asking the public to report dead bats to the toll-free phone number or email below and to also provide information on bat roosts. Bat carcasses will be submitted for testing of White-Nose Syndrome and may provide the earliest indication of the presence of the disease in BC” says Craig.

There are now community bat programs in most regions of BC so people will have a local contact. If you find a dead bat, be sure not to touch it with your bare hands. Collect it in a bag and label the bag with the date, location and your name, and then put the bag in the freezer. Contact your Community Bat Program as soon as possible for shipping directions and further information.

The BC Community Bat Program also encourages residents to report bat roosting sites in building structures, such as attics, sheds and bat houses, to help identify where certain species are present; if you are needing to evict bats from a structure, you are encouraged to contact your local Community Bat Program representative who can provide information on proper procedures to follow.

To contact the BC Community Bat Program, see www.bcbats.ca, email info@bcbats.ca or call 1-855-922-2287.

photo by Marvin Moriarty, US Fish & Wildlife Service. The 2009 photo is from Vermont.

For more information, Contact:

Juliet Craig

BC Community Bat Program

 1-855-922-2287 ext. 20

Have you seen hibernating bats this winter?

Biologists are requesting reports from citizens of bats found hibernating during the cold season. In the winter, bats have been reported to hibernate in caves, rock crevices or abandoned mines, but most specific locations in BC are unknown. We also have increasing anecdotal evidence that they might hibernate either singly or in small numbers in human created habitat such as buildings, chimneys, firewood piles etc.

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Kootenay Bat Watch Workshop

Do you want to know more about bats? Are you interested in becoming a Citizen Scientist?

Join biologist Leigh‐Anne Isaac to see a local bat colony and become trained as a Citizen Scientist. Participants will learn about local bats and how to conduct an Annual Bat Count to monitor populations.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

8:30 to 10:30 pm

Baynes Lake Hall

(Presentation at 8:30 pm followed by a bat count outside. Free refreshments!)

More info: 1-855-9BC-BATS ext. 14

Victoria looking for Bat Volunteers

Habitat Acquisition Trust is looking for volunteers to help count bats in the Greater Victoria area. If you are interested, please contact them at hatmail@hat.bc.ca or 250 995-2428, or visit their website www.hat.bc.ca for more information.

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