White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that has decimated North American bat populations. First recorded in sick and dying bats in Albany, New York in 2007, it has since spread north to Canada and is spreading in the United States, killing 90-100% of bats in some caves on it's path south and west. WCS health scientists are leading a program to study bats across the Western United States to try to identify which bats are most at risk and where to target interventions before WNS arrives. The research team recently spoke with reporters from the Guardian newspaper:
Plague marching west: researchers study bats to stop their demise