Bats Mysteriously Die, Scientists Ask Why

Bewildered scientists have been trying to decipher a reason why half a million bats may die soon in Northeast America. You may be thinking, I don’t like bats anyway, but many animals may be in danger for the same reason. Speculations include a possible infectious disease, which makes scientists worried it could spread to other species during migration season.

25 caves were found infected this year within only a 135-mile radius. Bats have recently been found dead, lying on house decks, roofs and lawns. Scientists are worried there may be a disruption in the natural balance, and have compared it to the mass deaths of honeybees in North America. The bats appear to have what scientists are calling “white nose syndrome,” a white fungus that attaches to their noses. Besides the white noses, the bats also starve to death. But these are the only two facts researchers have to go by.

Now, every kind of scientist from pathologists, to toxicologists to biologists is searching for an answer why, and feels an urgency to do so. “We’ve got to find an answer, and in so many ways we don’t know where to start,” admitted Susi von Oettingen of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The fear of the unknown seems to cause the most worry.

After an autopsy they found no irregular pattern in the bat’s cells, which makes it hard to determine whether the deaths are caused by a specific virus or parasite. The facts also indicate that the bats may be immune to what eventually kills them. Needless to say, this made scientists realize they don’t even know enough about healthy hibernating bats to compare the situation. Tom Kunz from Boston University has been studying bats for over 40 years, and he can’t even figure it out. “We need to know so much more about their ecology and physiology,” he says.

There are lots of theories from bystanders, including government planes spraying chemicals and electromagnetic radiation from cell phone towers. Kunz believes it might have something to do with having an inability for bats to jump-start their immune system after hibernation. It may be a case of having to train themselves a certain way. But whatever the cause, scientists are conducting numerous expeditions as we speak, working around the clock to find the answer, because the end result could mean something much bigger than just saving bats. It could mean preventing a natural epidemic.