Abstract:
The white-nose syndrome continues to decimate bat populations in western North Carolina, with seven counties affected by the disease. It does not affect people, but the bats are hard hit. For example, over the past two years in retired mine located in Avery County, a bat population of 1,000 dropped to 65, and in a mine in Haywood County a population of 4,000 dropped to 250 in one year.