Mammoth Cave National Park’s response to the threat of White-nose Syndrome: A multi-prong approach including management plans, research and monitoring activities, and visitor education

Background/Question/Methods

Approximately 400,000 people visit Mammoth Cave National Park (MCNP) each year. Like other National Parks, MCNP is charged with protecting its resources and providing for visitor enjoyment. For the past 5 years, MCNP has watched as a new threat, White-nose Syndrome (WNS), has spread increasingly close to the park. WNS is a disease that affects hibernating bats. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently estimated that WNS has killed over 5.5 million North American bats since its discovery in the winter of 2007. WNS is primarily found in eastern North America and has been found in new states and provinces each year since its discovery.

Results/Conclusions

From the beginning, MCNP decided to take a proactive position towards protecting its bat populations while continuing to allow for visitor enjoyment of its resources. MCNP has implemented a multi-prong approach including management actions; developing a WNS response plan; a wide variety of research, monitoring, and surveillance projects; and visitor screening and education. Many of these activities are aimed at learning more about MCNP's bat populations before WNS is found at the park and minimizing the risk of human-assisted spread of WNS. This poster will provide an overview of MCNP's response to the pending threat of WNS. These steps can serve as a model for other parks and organizations charged with protecting bats as a valuable cave resource.