Parks Canada deploys bacteria to combat deadly white-nose syndrome in Alberta bats

Parks Canada teams are actively working in Alberta's bat caves, deploying a specialized bacterial mixture in a critical effort to protect the province's bat population from white-nose syndrome. This aggressive fungal infection poses a severe threat to the survival of these nocturnal mammals.

Biologist Nina Veselka of Parks Canada has witnessed the devastating impact of the disease firsthand. At a cave in Jasper National Park, she observed bats weakened and struggling on the cave floor, having fallen from the walls. Veselka expressed grave concern, stating, "We could be looking at, like, local extinction" for the bats in that specific cave.

White-nose syndrome is caused by a fungus that thrives in cold, damp environments like bat caves. The fungus manifests as a fuzzy white growth on the bats' snouts and wings. Its presence disrupts the natural hibernation cycle, forcing bats to awaken and expend crucial fat reserves that cannot be replenished during winter, ultimately leading to starvation.

While the fungus presents no danger to humans, its impact on bat colonies is catastrophic. It has the potential to kill up to 98 percent of a colony, raising fears of widespread local extinctions across Alberta. The current intervention aims to curb the spread and mitigate the devastating effects of this accelerating epidemic.

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We could be looking at, like, local extinction.