Nearly 7 Million Bats Died Across Northeast From Mysterious Disease

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A national organization of recreational cavers is questioning a new estimate of the number of bats killed by a mysterious ailment that is spreading across the country.

The estimate by state and federal scientists said 5.7 million to 6.7 million bats had died across the Northeast from what’s known as white nose syndrome. But that estimate, released this month, is flawed and could lead to unnecessary restrictions on access to caves across the country, said Peter Youngbear, a Vermont-based official with the National Speleological Society.

“This is extremely important as this number is likely to drive significant wildlife and land management decisions,” Youngbear wrote in a letter to the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Decisions about closing caves, which would impact local economies