White-nose syndrome detected in bats at Devils Tower National Monument

Wildlife researchers have confirmed the presence of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats at Devils Tower National Monument. While this is the first confirmation of WNS in the state, the fungus that causes WNS, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), was potentially detected in southeast Wyoming as early as 2018.

Biologists from the University of Wyoming discovered evidence of WNS during surveys completed in early May 2021, when they captured and sampled bats to test for the fungus. The work was in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as part of an ongoing regional surveillance project funded by the National Park Service.

The samples were sent to the Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab where they detected the presence of Pd on four of the 19 bats tested. Two species – a northern-long eared bat and a fringed myotis – showed visible signs of WNS. Additional samples from these bats were sent to the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, which confirmed WNS in both bat species.

The presence of WNS in Wyoming is not a surprise for wildlife managers. The disease was confirmed in the nearby Black Hills in South Dakota in 2018, and more recently in a dead bat found in Fallon County, Montana in April 2021.

“The spread of white-nose syndrome and Pd into northeastern Wyoming is disheartening and frustrating,” said Devils Tower Chief of Resources Management Russ Cash. “The devastation that white-nose syndrome brings to bat populations is terrifying. Bats are such an important piece of our ecosystem and our well-being as humans. Bats devour unbelievable amounts of insects and pests that are a nuisance to humans.” 

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the NPS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will continue to work together to implement state and national response plans for WNS within the state. Detection of WNS at Devils Tower demonstrates the continued and unfortunate spread of this deadly disease, which has killed millions of bats in North America since the fungus first appeared in 2006 in New York.

Scientists believe humans may have unintentionally brought the Pd fungus from Eurasia to the U.S. Wyoming is the 37th state to confirm the disease, which has also been found in seven Canadian provinces. 

State and federal agencies throughout the West need the help of outdoor enthusiasts to slow the spread of WNS. The fungus that causes this disease is primarily spread through direct contact between bats. However, people can spread Pd when using clothes, footwear and gear that has been used at infected bat roosts, such as caves or rock crevices.

The best way to reduce the risk of spread is to stay out of closed caves and mines; use site-dedicated footwear, clothing and gear; and clean and disinfect these items before and after visiting caves and other places where bats live. National guidance for movement and decontamination of gear can be found at http://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/topics/decontamination.

The NPS will be working closely with the climbing community at Devils Tower to better understand and develop guidance for climbers to help care for and protect Wyoming’s bat populations – including how to safely clean and disinfect climbing gear. Climbers and cavers who have used gear or clothing in WNS-infected areas should not re-use them in areas not already known to have Pd fungus.

If you see a sick or dead bat, report it to park rangers or Game and Fish biologists, but do not touch or pick up the bat.

Additional information can be found here: 

• National decontamination guidance is at http://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/topics/decontamination.

• National white-nose syndrome website: http://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/.

• National Park Service white-nose subject pages, with videos, photos, maps: http://www.nps.gov/subjects/bats/white-nose-syndrome.htm.

• Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s nongame webpage: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/nongame.

• Map of WNS occurrence by county: http://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/resources/map.