White-nose syndrome has nearly wiped out northern long-eared bats, so feds move to declare them endangered

Northern long-eared bat
(Photo by John MacGregor)

"Fifteen years after its was first discovered in a New York cave, white-nose syndrome has decimated the nation’s population of northern long-eared bats, reducing their numbers to almost nothing," Darryl Fears reports for The Washington Post. "On Tuesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved to reclassify the mammals from threatened to endangered after a review found that 'white-nose syndrome is expected to affect 100 percent” of the animals by 2025.'" The disease has already killed off an estimated 97% of northern long-eared bats, and has infected more than half of the 47 bat species in North America.

As an endangered species, northern long-eared bats will get federal protections they didn't get as a threatened species. "Fish and Wildlife said it is leading a white-nose syndrome national response team of 150 nongovernmental organizations, tribes, states, federal agencies and other institutions to fight the problem," Fears writes. Though the agency said the effort has yielded critical scientific advancements, Fears reports that 15 years of research has produced limited success.

Approximate range of the northern long-eared bat
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service map)

However, Fears notes, scientists did make a promising discovery in 2018: ultraviolet light appears to kill the fungus that causes the disease, attacking bats as they hibernate.

Northern long-eared bats are found in 37 states, Washington, D.C., and every Canadian province. They and many other bat species pollinate flowers and feed on pests that damage crops. According to Fish and Wildlife, bats contribute at least $3 billion to the U.S. agriculture sector each year. The agency will hold a virtual public meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. ET April 7 to discuss the impact of the proposed reclassification, Fears reports.