A deadly fungus that wiped out entire colonies of bats could threaten a colony in Delta.
The B.C. government is stepping up efforts to help save bats from a nasty fungus that鈥檚 already wiped out millions.
On Friday at Deas Island Regional Park in Delta, officials announced that $40,000 would be directed to help combat white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease that affects hibernating bats and is named for the white fungus that appears on the muzzle and other body parts.
The pathogen, which first turned up in North America in 2006 and reportedly by 2012 was associated with at least five to seven million bat deaths, impacts bats鈥� metabolism.
Last year, the fungus had been found in 29 states throughout the Northeastern U.S. and five eastern Canadian provinces. In March 2016, it reached the West Coast after confirmation it appeared in Washington State.
To date, the syndrome has not been detected in B.C. However, the province notes the disease may arrive here soon.
The new funding will support the North American bat monitoring program and improve B.C.-specific bat monitoring guidance.
鈥淭he threat of WNS to our bats is extreme. Ten of our species are likely susceptible to the disease and seven of these species may likely suffer unprecedented population declines. We are working hard to observe and measure changes caused by this disease in western North America,鈥� said Patrick Buke, a bat biologist with the South Coast Bat Conservation Society.
B.C. is home to the most diverse bat population in the country, with 16 out of 19 species that call Canada home. Half of these bats are considered to be of conservation concern, including two that have been recently listed as endangered in Canada due to WNS.
According to Metro Vancouver, Deas Island Regional Park is home to the largest known maternity colony in the province.
Significant knowledge gaps still exist and the need to locate and monitor more bat colonies will be essential, said Heather Deal, chair of the Metro 麻豆传媒映画Parks Committee.
Residents in urban and rural areas are asked to report unusual activity, which includes bats flying during the day in winter (November through May), or dead bats to the B.C. Community Bat Program online at www.bcbats.ca, or by calling toll-free at 1 855 9BC-BATS, or by sending an email to [email protected].
