Helping Bat Colonies Recover from White-Nose Syndrome

Tens of millions of North American bats have died due to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fatal fungal disease in hibernating bats. The little brown bat is one of the species hit hardest by WNS; less than 10 percent of a once robust population have survived the outbreak. Researchers will study how the remaining populations of little brown bats respond to and recover from WNS. The researchers will investigate the intrinsic factors impacting the bats' reproduction and population recovery. Findings will be used to gauge the overall health of remnant colonies, assess their long-term ability to recover from the WNS epidemic and inform management strategies to help more bats survive and thrive.