Four years after the first bats were found dead as a result of a
mysterious disease known only as white-nose syndrome (WNS), the
epidemic has spread from upstate New York across the Mississippi
River. Over one million bats have been killed by the disease,
despite cave closures and other efforts to stop it's spread. WNS
is a disease that strikes hibernating bats in cave ecosystems.
It's so named because of the white growth that appears on
afflicted bats' noses, though the fungus has also been found on
bats' ears, tails, belly and wings. Bats affected by WNS often
exhibit signs of starvation, leading scientists to conclude that
the disease may be causing bats to wake up more often during
winter, depleting their stored energy reserves. In addition to
being an iconic symbol of Halloween and an often maligned and
misunderstood creature, bats serve a critical role in our
ecosystem. Supreme predators of flying insects, they're able to
consume over one thousand mosquitoes in a single hour. In their
absence, farmers w