It鈥檚 one issue that you shouldn鈥檛 just bat an eye at.
The BC Community Bat Program is asking Okanagan residents to do their part to help prevent the spread of White-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats.
According to the program鈥檚 website, WNS is a fungal disease that carries an almost 100 per cent mortality rate in bats and has been spreading westward across North America since 2006. The disease is anticipated to reach B.C. and impact many of the province鈥檚 16 bat species within the next ten years.
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Okanagan program coordinator Paula Rodriguez de la Vega said residents can report sightings of unusual bat activity to help combat the spread of the disease.
鈥淲e are encouraging the public to report dead bats or any sightings of winter bat activity to the BC Community Bat Program toll-free phone number at 1-855-922-2287, website, or email,鈥� said Vega.
鈥淐arcasses will be submitted for testing for white-nose syndrome and would provide the earliest indication of the presence of the disease in BC. Reports of winter bat activity will help focus research, monitoring and protection efforts.鈥�
If Okanagan residents come across a sleeping bat, Vega said they should leave the creature alone, snap a photo and report the encounter to officials in the bat program.
While reports help, Vega admits tracking bats who might have WNS is hard.
鈥淒etection of WNS in BC is challenging because our bats hibernate in small groups across the province鈥� said Vega.
WNS has already been confirmed in bats just 150 km south of the BC-US border.
Since 2006, the Center for Biological Diversity estimates that 6.7 million bats have died from the disease.
The program is being funded by multiple conservation organizations and aims to monitor and improve bat roosting sites across the province.
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