White-Nose Syndrome in bats:
For cavers

Message to Cavers
The Service applauds the caving community's strong conservation ethic and long-time support of bat conservation efforts, and we ask for your continued cooperation and assistance as we and our state and nongovernmental partners work to address white–nose syndrome. We request that cavers observe all cave closures and advisories and avoid caves or passages of caves containing large hibernating populations of any bat species. The Service discourages cavers or caving groups from systematically searching for bats with white–nose syndrome in caves or mines. Note that not all affected bats have fungus that is easily visible.

Protocols are being updated. Check back soon.

Recommended procedures to prevent the possible spread of white-nose syndrome

Containment and decontamination procedures

Cave closure information and related advisories

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region
  • Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur, Ala. Cave closure (March 26, 2009)
  • Cave advisory March 26, 2009
  • FAQs on cave advisory
     
• Indiana DNR closes caves to slow bat disease spread (May 1, 2009)
   
• Mid-Atlantic Karst Conservancy
   
• National Park Service
  
  Great Smoky Mountains National Park Closes All Park Caves to Protect Bats (April 3, 2009)
   
• National Speleological Society
  
  White Nose Syndrome Page
   
• National Speleological Society's District of Columbia Grotto
  • Cave Closures
  • White Nose Syndrome: A major problem for both bats and the caving community
    
    
• Northeastern Cave Conservancy
  
  Northeastern Cave Conservancy Closes Caves Until May 15, 2009 (March 29, 2009)
   
• Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
  
  Bat hibernating sites in Forest & Westmoreland counties remain closed to visitors (April 28, 2009)
   
• Southeastern Cave Conservancy
   
• U.S. Forest Service
  • Forest Service Closes Caves and Mines to Slow the Spread of White-nose Syndrome (April 24, 2009)
  • Shawnee National Forest, Harrisburg, Ill., Cave and mine closure (March 13, 2009)
     
• West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's West Virginia Field Office: Notice to Cavers No. 2 (16 June 2008), White Nose Syndrome - Update (PDF 32k)
   
• Virginia
  • Recommended Measures to Reduce the Spread of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) in Virginia (April 15, 2009)
    
  • Virginia Confirms Cases of White-Nose Syndrome in Bats: Asking Cavers, Owners of Caves to Help by Reducing Cave Traffic (April 2, 2009)