Nice trip report....perhaps we'll see WNS in TN this winter after all.
From: caves @ ht cn et. org
Sent: 3/4/2009 11:30:12 A.M. Eastern Standard Time
Subj: FW: WNS appears to be in Clover Hollow Cave
I'm forwarding this to keep all of you informed.
Rick
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cave-club Discussion List [mailto:CAVE- C LUB@lists erv.v t.e du] On
> Behalf Of Wil Orndorff
> Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2009 10:36 AM
> Subject: WNS appears to be in Clover Hollow Cave
>
> John Bowling, Julie Booker, and I went to Clover Hollow last night.
>
> The situation is grim. About 200 (~ 150 Little browns and 50 pips) bats
> are
> staged near the entrance, above the drop. Numerous dead bats (~20),
> mostly
> pips, were observed. Also, there were about 15 Little browns with white
> noses (some with wing fungus as well), and at least 3 pips displaying
> fungus
> on masks and wings.
>
> A couple of dozen bats were actually hanging in the entrance drop, in
> the
> twilight zone where it was about 20 degrees fahrenheit.
>
> This staging behavior is characteristic of many of the WNS sites to the
> north. Bowling said when they were in there in January they saw only 1
> dead
> bat, and only 3 bats above the canyon drop. It is not nearly time to
> coming
> out of hibernation.
>
> Some of the dead bats had been partially scavenged.
>
> I collected 15-20 bats for analysis, including 3 (2 pips and 1 lucy)
> that I
> killed. In retrospect, I should have obtained more live animals with
> fungus, particularly lucies. But by that time I was out of baggies.
>
> I will send some pics to be posted on the club website if someone can
> tell
> me who to send them to.
>
> Thanks to everyone in the club who is taking this situation seriously.
> We
> need to assume that Tawney's is infected as well, considering the
> proximity
> to Clover Hollow and the high degree of visitation. All the VA and WV
> caves
> where this has been found so far are recreational caves with high
> visitation. I imagine by next year it will spread locally via bat-bat
> transmission. In my opinion it is imperative that we don't facilitate
> the
> further spread of WNS by encouraging sport caving in infected caves.
>
> Biologists are working with members of the caving community in Virginia
> to
> come up with a protective and realistic set of protocols that we hope
> people
> will use to guide their caving behavior. If you must go caving, please
> wash
> and disinfect your gear thoroughly, and STAY OUT OF CLOVER HOLLOW AND
> TAWNEYS. And even more importantly, STAY OUT OF BLAND COUNTY or
> anywhere
> south or west of Giles. In my opinion, any VPI Caver who has been caving
> in
> Giles in the last year should consider themselves exposed, and act
> accordingly.
>
> Disinfection protocols are at:
>
>
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/whitenosem ... ontainment>