Well the gov't hasn't had a clue since the start and the more data that comes out the more they stick to policies that have proven to not work and ailianating those who are trying to help at the same time. Cave closures have proven to NOT be the answer - it spreads every winter no matter what the closures are. And in fact, gated caves to protect the bat hibernaculums are still getting infected! But yet closures (of all caves, whether or not any bats at all use them) continue to happen.
This is at least a step in the right direction - reopening caves. And yes, it seems to say they don't believe humans are a vector (or at least, one worth worrying about, it would be neigh impossible to 100% prove humans have NO involvement) because "eh well this cave has it, can't get any worse having humans visit it now, may as well open it". I mean, really, it likely wouldn't have mattered to be closed at the start or not but who looks at the data for how it's spreading, right? :
And that data wasn't around back in 2006, it's been the last two winters that the models of migration routes have been overlayed with the spread of WNS and GOLLYGEEWILLIKERS it overlaps almost perfectly.
Now they say humans may still be a vector (ex: Oaklahoma) but OK was only 1 bat, and my understanding no WNS symptoms it was just found dead, and it did test positive for GD. Or they say it was a vector (for it starting in the firstplace) but considering the local of the cave to ports and the fact that bats do stowaway on shipping containers that's just as plausible (and a lot think, more plausible).
I'm simply happy to see caves being re-opened. Because really, in heavily WNS-infected areas, closed or open cave, you may be exposing yourself to it (hence all of our decon protocols) and if a bat is gonna get it, they're gonna get it.
One thing I think is funny is you can walk up in filthy been - to - wns -inefected - caves gear right to the entrance of any closed cave, you just can't enter inside it
Oh, and show caves can stay open so long as you walk across these "bio-mats" before entering if you've been to another cave in the past x number of days.
Doesn't the gov't make sense?
Hence why I'm just happy there is some sense of sense going on here...I don't think cave closures make sense at *all* since cavers stay out of hibernaculums when there are bats hibernating, and we don't disturb bats, and it clearly spreads like wildfire even with caves closed, even to all these "gated since 2006" caves that no one has been in or out of.
I think it was a cave in Indiana trying a new management plan this winter - kill all of the infected bats. They are ticking time bombs that just spread it. But I think it's too late for that type of management plan, it's spread way too far. If they had *started* that way, then yeah maybe much better shot at that working.
It sucks all around though...I might have been lucky to get this photo of a little brown two weekends ago, poor little guys are being hit hard. This one seems happy and healthy though
McCammish Crystal Cave 27 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
