Glacier National Park Confirms Its First Case of a Deadly Bat Disease

A little brown bat found dead in Glacier National Park recently tested positive for white-nose syndrome, raising concern among park officials that the disease could spread to other bats in the area. Read on for the details of this disease and why experts are concerned about its spread across the U.S.

White-Nose Syndrome Confirmed in Montana National Park

The National Park Service (NPS) confirmed that a bat found dead in Montana's Glacier National Park tested positive for a fatal disease that is caused by a fungus that impacts bats in hibernation. The NPS said that the deceased bat was found in the Saint Mary region of the park.

In addition to the confirmation that the deceased bat had the disease, the fungus that causes the disease was also observed in samples collected from live bats on the eastern edge of the park earlier in the summer. The NPS noted that "These are the first detections of both the fungus and WNS in Glacier National Park and Glacier County."

White-nose syndrome (WNS) wakes up bats as they are hibernating, reducing their fat stores enough that they can starve to death. The fungus generally spreads throughout the bat population through direct contact. However, the fungus can survive underground for years. The NPS explains that the disease is named for the visible white fungal growth that appears on the muzzles and wings of bats when they become infected.

Infected bats also often exhibit erratic behavior. For example, these bats may be observed flying around during the day, during times that they should be hibernating. Other signs of a WNS infection include clusters of dead bats on the ground or groups of them hovering around the hibernation spot entrances.