White Nose Syndrome decimates bats in Montana cave

Biologists doing an annual bat census study in May, 2022, at Azure Cave, Montana, found a 98% reduction in numbers of bats compared to previous years, caused by infection with White Nose Syndrome. Azure Cave is located on BLM land in the Little Rocky Mountains. It was a major winter hibernaculum site for several Myotis species, especially the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), whose numbers have already declined drastically from WNS in many eastern US states.