White Nose Syndrome, a fungus that starves bats to death by interrupting their winter hibernation, was identified in several locations in the province last year after being found in Saskatchewan in 2021.Sign up to receive daily headline news from Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
When analyzed, two samples from along the southern stretch of the Red Deer River came back positive for the fungus. Other samples that showed likely infection came from along the Milk River in southern Alberta and as far north as the Battle River near Cold Lake.Article content Bat immune systems barely function when they’re asleep, meaning they must wake up to fight the fungus. But during hibernation, bats may have to go without food for six months. Coming out of it costs them energy they need to make it through the winter.Because bats huddle closely together to survive the cold, the disease passes quickly. It’s also deadly.
“We’re pretty likely to see similar declines in Alberta,” Olson said. “It’s not a lot of bats that can survive this disease.”
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