06/09/2026
As summer rolls around, be sure to keep your eyes peeled at dusk for bats flying by! Pictured here is the Little Brown Myotis, one of the most common bats across Canada and a Species at Risk 🦇
Unfortunately, populations of this bat have significantly declined throughout Canada due to the spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a deadly fungal disease. WNS spreads most rapidly during the winter when bats are hibernating, affecting their skin and leading to dehydration, starvation, and death. As their habitat disappears due to deforestation and development, and bats are forced to hibernate together in fewer places, disease transmission of the WNS spores spreads more efficiently to uninfected bats. Recently, the fungus causing WNS was detected again in B.C.
Here’s how to help ongoing bat-monitoring efforts and protect B.C. bats like the Little Brown Myotis:
🦇 Avoid disrupting bats habitat, especially during roosting and hibernation. Never touch a bat – keep your distance and leave them alone!
🦇 If you find a dead bat, report it to the B.C. Community Bat Program online at bcbats.ca, via email at [email protected] or by calling 1-855-922-2287.
🦇 Contribute your observations of bats by sending an email to [email protected].
🦇 Learn more about WNS in B.C. at: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026WLRS0011-000248.
🦇 Learn more about the Little Brown Myotis at: https://islandstrust.bc.ca/little-brown-myotis/.
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