Fungal disease posing threat to Sask. bat populations
A fatal fungal disease that affects bat populations has been discovered in Saskatchewan for the first time in Grasslands National Park.
White-nose bat syndrome impacts bats during hibernation while their body temperature is significantly lowered.
Trent Bollinger, the regional director of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative and professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Saskatchewan, said the disease can be devastating to hibernating bat species.
“This could cause them to come out of torpor more frequently and use up energy stored that they have built up during the fall leading up to hibernation and this energy depletion is the cause of their death over the hibernation period,” he explained.
Bollinger said the fungus is found in caves where bats live and causes erosions and ulcers in their skin, before it eventually enters underlying tissues.
While the disease is only contagious to bats, the ecological impacts could affect everyone, according to Iga Stasiak, a wildlife health specialist for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment.
“Bats play a really important and immense ecological role. They’re a major predator of night-flying insects, including crop pests so they save the agricultural industry millions of dollars every year in pest control," she said.
The disease is known to cause a drastic mortality rate within bat populations.
“We might already be seeing a population-level impact,” Stasiak said. “This fungus is devastating to hibernating bat species and can cause significant losses of over 90 per cent in some hibernacula so we are going to be monitoring that closely.”
White-nose bat syndrome has drastically affected the bat population in North America since its discovery in 2006.
Bollinger said the disease was first detected in New York State but researchers believe it may have been brought over from Europe.
The ministry said it will be collecting skin swab samples from bats in the province as part of monitoring.
“We’re also working with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada which has a project in the prairies looking at bridge sites, so we’ll be collecting guano samples and test those guano or fecal samples for fungus as well,” Stasiak said.
Authorities ask that if any members of the public come into contact with a bat that is dead or on the ground, to contact the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.