We're doomed.
White Nose Syndrome, a disease which causes mortality in cave-dwelling bat species has been discovered on a little brown bat in a privately owned cave in Pike County, Missouri. While the primary means of transmission of the disease is from bat-to-bat, live fungal spores have been documented from caving gear and in boot prints, suggesting the probability of humans serving as vectors for the disease, as well.
It's time to close the caves in Missouri. I know it will irritate the cavers and explorers, but it is time to take necessary measures. Caves are more than deep dwellings beneath the ground; they are important ecosystems. Bats are an important part of the cave world, if not for the science of things, than for being the ambassadors of the cave world.
suggested reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_nose_syndrome
Nooo! I missed out on caves in Indiana b/c of White Nose; not Missouri too!
ReplyDeleteAndrew, now is your chance to cave....I predict they will be closed here in the fall. Thanks for the comment
ReplyDeleteThey are closed in Arkansas already. :-( Well, Blanchard Springs Caverns do not attract bats normally, so it remains open, but the ones in the Ozarks have been closed by authority of the state park system.
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me we have a great bat cave at Pinnacles. They close it every year for the babies. I'll have to check into it and see if white nose has hit CA, too.
ReplyDeletecheck this out:
ReplyDeletehttp://whitenosebats.wordpress.com/