The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is asking for the public to help them get a count of just how many bats live in the Bayou State, so they can find out if a bat-based disease is spreading.
LDWF State Wildlife Veterinarian Jim LaCour says over 80 percent of the state is private property, which can make it tough to track bat populations, so if you got some bats on your land…
“We’re asking them to just sit and basically count those bats, fill out a little data sheet and get that information back to us.”
Louisiana has 12 species of bats.
LaCour says the disease has ravaged bat populations in other states but has not yet been detected in Louisiana.
“It’s a condition known as white nose syndrome. It’s caused by a fungus that attacks bats when they are in torpor or hibernating if you will.”
The disease is not a danger to humans.
LaCour says filling out the form about how many bats are on your land could be a big help to the Louisiana economy, and Louisiana healthcare as bats love to chow down on nasty bugs.
“They save farmers nationwide literally billions of dollars annually in pest control. They eat a lot of mosquitos that can carry diseases that threaten people.”
If you’ve got some bats and want to help out, email nanderson@wlf.gov
