White-Nose Syndrome Confirmed in Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park has confirmed its first case of white-nose syndrome (WNS) after a deceased little brown bat found near St. Mary in May tested positive for the disease. Officials have also confirmed the presence of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes WNS, in live bats on the east side of the park. The fungal disease, which has decimated bat populations across the country, had yet to reach the barriers of Glacier. Named for the white growth around infected bats’ muzzles, WNS attacks bats by upsetting their internal regulation systems. Pseudogymnoascus destructans thrives in cold, dark environments and often infects bats as they hibernate in caves. With a reduced metabolic rate and a lowered body temperature, infected bats are forced awake during the winter when natural resources are scarce. By the time bats exhibit the telltale signs of WNS, the disease has already depleted their fat reserves and left them starving and dehydrated.

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