1. White-nose Syndrome (WNS): An Emergent Threat to Bats in North America Jeremy T. H. Coleman, PhD, Robyn A. Niver, and Susanna L. von Oettingen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Scott R. Darling, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department May 1, 2009

2. Wildlife Health Crisis Over 90% mortality at affected sites Spreading rapidly All 6 northeastern cave bat species affected 1 Federally listed species

3. What is WNS? Clinical signs: A white fungus evident on the nose, ears, or wings of most affected animals Wing damage Depleted body fat Jonathan Reichard

4. Abnormal behavior: Bats flying outside in daylight Dead bats near cave entrances or on landscape Behavioral signs

5. 2007 - 1 state, 4 sites

6. 2008 - 4 states, 38 sites

7. 2009 – 9 States, 65+ Sites

8. Why are bats vulnerable? Cave hibernators: Clustering behavior promotes pathogen transmission Clustering behavior promotes pathogen transmission Limited energy resources during hibernation Limited energy resources during hibernation

9. Anthropogenic Transmission: Bat-to-bat Little brown bat movement to summer colonies from Mt. Aeolus, VT hibernaculum Geographic Spread

10. Transmission: Anthropogenic May be spread by human activity FWS has requested voluntary ban on caving

11. Year200720082009 Indiana bats 13,014124Apparently Unchanged Williams Preserve, Rosendale, NY

12. Greeley Mine Stockbridge, VT YearNo. Bats 20051080 Nov. 2008 615 March 2009 33

13. Old Mine Chester, MA YearNo. Bats 2008Est: 10,500 February 2009 1013 March 2009 46

14. Jonathan Reichard Alan Hicks Aeolus Cave Dorset, VT Mortality too great to survey 2008-09

15. Why care about bats? Bats comprise 1/5 of the world’s mammal species Bats are the primary night-time predators of insects

16. Biological Consequences Bats have extremely low reproductive rates (live for over 20 years and have only one pup per year)

17. Citizen Concerns Reports of bats observed: Flying during winter days Landing on buildings, roofs, windows Struggling to fly Dying on the ground

18. Lots of Media Interest The New York Times The Boston Globe Los Angeles Times Washington Post BBC CBC Vermont Public Radio The New Yorker National Geographic USA Today CBS Evening News Voice of America Canadian Public Radio National Public Radio Der Spiegel Brattleboro Reformer Yankee Magazine FOX Bennington Banner Rutland Herald Burlington Free Press

19. 50+ partners from Federal and State agencies, NGOs, and academia working on: Monitoring/ManagementMonitoring/Management ResearchResearch OutreachOutreach

20. Outreach www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html Media response and public inquiry response Video production Briefings Presentations Stakeholder engagement WNS display and materials Radio-Canada-Television. documentary, VT

21. Funded Projects Research support Immune response Investigation of Geomyces fungus Hibernation studies Population (local and rangewide) level impacts –Pre-WNS baseline monitoring –Demographic modeling –Impacts to bats on summer range Contaminants Planning efforts

22. Issues Investigation takes timeInvestigation takes time Complex coordination needsComplex coordination needs Control presents biological and social challengesControl presents biological and social challenges Two listed species vulnerable nowTwo listed species vulnerable now Potential to impact 25 of 40 N. Am. bat speciesPotential to impact 25 of 40 N. Am. bat species

23. Concerns