Why are thousands of bats dying in New York?

I realize this is gloomy but it was too interesting and perplexing to pass up. The article is about the “white nose syndrome” that is killing of thousands of bats in New York and Vermont. White nose syndrome is named due to the white fungus that is found on the nose of the dead or dying bats. The cause of this is unknown, and it is possible that the fungus is a symptom or it could be the illness. Scientists have proposed that it is a virus, bacteria, or environmental toxin, but nothing has been confirmed. Some speculate that a human caver may have transferred the illness from caves elsewhere in the world and brought it to caves in Albany, where it has spread since. It has apparently affected at least four different species of hibernating bats. The decline in bat populations could greatly affect agriculture because bats prey on many insects that are considered pests to crops. Many have likened this mysterious die-off situation with the rapid decline of bee species in the United States; the cause of both is so far unknown. Read the full article here.

-ALISHA