Fungus kills 90% of New Jersey Bats

Bad news about WNS from New Jersey:

A fungus has killed off about 90 percent of the state’s bat population, according to scientists who recently conducted a count of hibernating bats.

The devastation was shocking in the largest hibernation spot for bats in New Jersey – Morris County’s Hibernia Mine. As many as 30,000 bats normally spend the winter, but a recent count found only about 1,700 alive – and many of those showed signs of infection, said Mick Valent, principal zoologist with the state’s Endangered and Non-game Species Program.