GRPL- CESU: Monitor the Response of Bats to the Arrival of White Nose Syndrom at Jewl Cave National Monument (JECA)

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This study will compare bat health and statistics before and after the arrival of WNS. This would mark the first documentation of response by western bat species in an area with comprehensive pre-WNS baseline data. It will compare mist netting, PIT tagging, and acoustic survey methods to inform resource managers in western WNS-free areas, and help them identify bat conservation priorities. This information will be shared with the larger science and conservation communities, resource managers through peer-reviewed publications, reports outlining results, and participation in local, regional, and national groups and conferences. The park will use the new information to update its interpretive tours and talks, Adopt-a-Bat brochure, and social media podcast. The purpose of the project is three-fold. First, bats will be captured in and around Jewel Cave to document responses to the arrival of WNS. These mist net surveys will be compared with ongoing acoustic monitoring of bat behavior. Second, each captured bat will be marked with a PIT tag to quantify movement patterns into and out of Jewel Cave using an automated reader. Captured bats will be identified to species, sex and reproductive status will be determined, and individuals will be evaluated for signs of WNS infection. Finally, this information will be shared with the larger science and conservation communities, resource managers through peer reviewed publications, reports outlining results, and participation in local, regional, and national groups and conferences. The park will use the new information to update its interpretive tours and talks, Adopt-a-Bat brochure, and social media podcast.

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