Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – A NewsChannel 9 viewer says she’s accustomed to seeing bats in Central New York, but this year she's seen very few.
So where are all the bats?
A wildlife specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension blames the lack of bats on
white nose syndrome, a fungus that causes severe infection and eventually leads to death.
The disease was initially found in Central New York six years ago. It has wiped out as much as 90 percent of the region’s bat population.
The trend could reverse, however. The latest survey released by the DEC shows the population is holding steady and has even increased slightly for the first time in years.
Bats are an important element in an ecosystem because they destroy insects that eat crops.
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