WNS Confirmed at Mammoth Cave National Park

[David Riggs]

See: http://www.nps.gov/maca/parknews/nr-wnsinparkbats.htm

MAMMOTH CAVE, KY. - Mammoth Cave National Park Superintendent Sarah
Craighead announced today that a bat from a cave in the south central
Kentucky park has been confirmed with white-nose syndrome, a condition
deadly to bats.

"It grieves me to make this announcement," said Craighead." A northern
long-eared bat, showing symptoms of white-nose syndrome, was found in
Long Cave in the park. The bat was euthanized on January 4 and sent
for laboratory testing. Those tests confirmed white-nose syndrome."

Long Cave, an undeveloped cave 1.3 miles long, is the park's largest
bat hibernaculum and houses endangered Indiana bats and gray bats,
along with other non-threatened species. Long Cave is not connected to
Mammoth Cave and has not been open to visitors for more than 80 years.

Tours of Mammoth Cave will continue. White-nose syndrome is known to
be transmitted primarily from bat to bat, but spores of Geomyces
destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, may be
inadvertently carried between caves by humans on clothing, footwear,
and caving gear. White-nose syndrome is not known to affect people,
pets, or livestock but is harmful or lethal to hibernating bats,
killing 90 percent or more of some species of bats in caves where the
fungus has lasted for a year or longer, according to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.

Decontamination procedures to prevent spread of the fungal spores by
human beings were adopted more than two years ago as white-nose
syndrome was decimating bat populations in the northeast. Mammoth Cave
National Park implemented such procedures years ahead of any actual
finding of white-nose syndrome in the park in an effort to delay its
arrival and to be fully prepared should it appear.

Craighead said Mammoth Cave National Park is part of a multi-agency -
state, federal and tribal - effort to study white-nose syndrome and
take steps to prevent people from spreading it further. "About 400,000
people tour Mammoth Cave each year, providing an excellent opportunity
for us to educate the public about the importance of bats and the
disease. We screen all visitors before they go on a cave tour and
visitors walk across decontamination mats as they exit their tours."

Mammoth Cave's White-Nose Syndrome Response Plan was written in
collaboration with several National Park Service parks and offices, as
well as the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The plan addresses continued operation
of cave tours and limited research with decontamination procedures to
minimize the spread of white-nose syndrome into and out of park caves.

There are more than 400 caves within the park, including the 390-mile
long Mammoth Cave. All park caves are closed to human access except
via ranger-led tours or by research permit. Cave tours travel through
12 miles of Mammoth Cave. A portion of Mammoth Cave extends outside
the park boundary and the Mammoth Cave System watershed stretches as
many as 20 miles to the south and east of the park.

Park staff submitted bats for white-nose syndrome testing in 2009,
2010, 2011 and 2012. All those results were negative. Park staff and
partners continue to look for evidence of white-nose syndrome in the
park. Scientists regularly visit the entrances of bat roost-caves
(hibernacula) to look for unusual bat behavior. Three solar-powered
bat detectors have been placed outside hibernacula to record bat
calls, and all park staff report sick or dead bats.

"Because we suspected white-nose syndrome was coming, we partnered
with various researchers to gather baseline data on bat populations
and bat ecology," said Craighead." The data provide important
information on which bat species are present and how many, when they
give birth, and when they feed.We now have five years of data
collected prior to the arrival of white-nose syndrome, and will
continue monitoring through the course of the disease."

Nine species of cave-dwelling bats inhabit the park, two of which are
the endangered Indiana and gray bats. All nine species are at risk
from white-nose syndrome. Four species of tree-dwelling bats are also
found in the park; thus far, tree-dwelling bats have not been found to
suffer from white-nose syndrome.

Bats play a key role in the food chain. In caves, for example, bat
guano is a food source for animals that spend their entire lives
underground. In forests and farm fields, bats play an important role
by consuming enormous numbers of damaging insects such as beetles and
moths. The number of North American bats estimated to have died from
white-nose syndrome thus far had the capacity to consume up to 8,000
tons of insects per year according to the United States Geological
Survey.

"The National Parks have a dual role," said Craighead, "to preserve
natural treasures and to provide a way for people to enjoy them. Our
response to challenges such as white-nose syndrome applies the best
available science and research to find the proper balance between
those roles, and a sustainable future for our parks."



--
David A. Riggs
Myotisoft, LLC
463 Oak Street
Morgantown, WV 26505
http://www.myotisoft.com
dri...@myotisoft.com
(304) 685-7537