Bats

How WCS Canada is helping bats

Protecting bats from white-nose syndrome (WNS)

White-nose syndrome is a devastating fungal disease of bats that spreads through colonies and kills bats during hibernation. Millions of bats have died in eastern North America since 2007, and the westward progression of this disease continues to kill an unknown number.

We are leading a collaborative project to directly protect bats in western Canada from this disease, currently developing and testing a natural microbial method to reduce deaths from this disease.

As WNS kills bats in winter, we are working urgently to locate bats' winter roosts and understand their winter ecology.

We also work proactively to strengthen the resilience of bat populations by protecting and restoring their habitat.

Combating habitat loss for bats

Because bats are long-lived and often return to the place where they were born, they are particularly sensitive to the threats posed by sudden habitat loss.

Female bats need roosts with specific temperatures and humidity to raise their young, and different species require different microclimates.

Designing better bat boxes

We create and evaluate new roosting structures for bats, including bat boxes and bat condos as part of our community bat program. We also monitor existing roosts.

In our increasingly urbanized landscapes, natural roosting habitats are disappearing and bats need man-made structures. But replacing bat habitat in urban areas is not as straightforward as one might imagine. We have drawn up guidelines for the safe and effective use of bat boxes.

Creating and protecting bat roosts

Not all bat species use bat boxes or other man-made structures. That's why we're looking for other ways to compensate for the loss of natural bat habitats, particularly large old trees, so that more bat species can benefit.

Safer wind power

An estimated one million bats are currently killed by wind turbines every year in North America - a figure that will continue to rise as new turbines are built.

We are urging the wind energy industry to make the siting and operation of wind turbines safer.