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news and events affecting wildlife and wildlife
professionals from across north america
Northeast
ne W YoRK—according to the recently released results of an
investigation by the new York State Department of environmental
Conservation (n YSDeC), more than 90 percent of cave-dwelling
bats in the northeast have died of causes related to white-nose
syndrome (WnS), a fungal infection that has affected bats across
the United States. the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), which
once accounted for 85 percent of all bats that hibernate in the
northeast, appears to have been hardest hit, with a 93-percent
drop in population numbers. So far, experts believe that WnS has
killed approximately one million insect-eating bats since it first appeared in the winter of 2005-2006. in october 2009, n YSDeC
officials and researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey and the national Park Service set up a video camera in a few WnS-infected
mines including one near Kingston, new York to monitor and study
the link between the fungus and abnormal bat behavior during
arousals such as prolonged flight and excessive grooming, which
may be contributing to energy loss and death. to reduce the risk of
spreading the fungus—which can attach itself to hair, clothing, and
equipment—the U.S. fish and Wildlife Service called for the closure
of caves in 17 states in the northeast both affected and unaffected
by WnS. Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Southwest
texaS—More than 2,000 Canada geese, snow geese, and
ducks that were found dead in Dalhart, texas in December were
believed to have been infected with avian cholera. Research has
shown that the disease, present in most species of geese, lies
dormant until triggered by a stress-inducing event—in this case
an extreme decline in temperatures in the region around the
first week of December. although avian cholera poses no threat
to human health, it is severely contagious among birds. it can
be transferred through contact with the secretions or feces of
infected birds, as well as through ingestion of water or food that
contains the bacteria. once the infection becomes active, birds
will weaken rapidly and can die within 24 to 48 hours. Cholera
die-offs are relatively common in the texas Panhandle, however
the number of deaths averages approximately 200 per year and
rarely reaches the thousands. the largest die-off in the Panhandle occurred in 1979, when 50,000 birds died from avian
cholera. to prevent or minimize further spread of the disease,
state game officials are monitoring bird populations.
Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Central Mountains and Plains
ColoRaDo—teams of architects and engineers from around
the world will soon compete to design a wildlife crossing structure at Colorado’s West Vail Pass—the candidate site selected
for the upcoming north american Wildlife Crossing Structure
Design Competition. the event—organized by the Western
transportation institute at Montana State University in collaboration with numerous partners, including the Colorado Department
of transportation—will draw attention to a part of interstate 70,
considered a priority wildlife corridor for numerous species including the threatened lynx (Lynx canadensis). according to the
Western transportation institute, vehicle collisions with wildlife
cost americans more than $8 billion per year. Participants must
design an efficient and affordable wildlife crossing using wildlife
Hanging on by a thread, a little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) with white-nose
syndrome is one of approximately one million bats that died by spring of 2009
since the disease first appeared in the winter of 2005-2006. Recent results of
a long-term investigation reveal that this species has been hardest hit, with a
population decline of 93 percent.
Credit: Marvin Moriarty/ USf WS
