Friday, October 31st, 2008

Bat Crisis Update

Bats across the northeastern United States are dying and no one knows why. We visit an abandoned mine in upstate New York, one of the largest bat hibernation spots in the Northeast, with several bat researchers looking for clues. (Credits: Music by SYNTHAR - www.synthar.com. Images courtesy of FWS, Al Hicks, NY Department of Environmental Conservation. Filmed and Produced by Flora Lichtman) See More Videos

A new report this week from researchers hunting for the cause of a mysterious bat die-off indicates that a fungus may hold the key to solving the mystery. Writing in the journal Science, researchers report that they have identified a whitish fungus that is associated with the bat die-offs and is the source of the name 'White-Nose Syndrome' attached to the outbreak, which has stricken communities of bats in the Northeast. Researchers report seeing a 75 percent decline in bat populations among many northeastern species -- with bat populations at certain hibernation cites declining by 80 to 97 percent. We'll talk with one of the researchers about the die-offs, the new research on the fungus, and possible causes of the epidemic.