MADISON (WKOW) — They’re the species that come with several myths, but bats actually help us in more ways than you think. However, scientists are worried after they’ve seen an unprecedented drop in the bat population due to a disease that’s spreading across the state.
“It’s really devastating,” said Jennifer Redell, a conservation biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
She’s talking about the deadly impacts from white-nose syndrome. It’s a disease that originates in their habitats.
“A fungal disease that is caused by a mold or fungus that prefers the cave environment,” Redell said.
The fungus, that infects the bat’s skin, was discovered and named in Madison about 10 years ago by Dr. David Blehert, with the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center. A number of bats came from New York at that time that were infected with a fungus that killed them.
Read more at WKOW.COM
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