Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats, was found in Alberta for the first time in 2022. This fungus has already killed millions of bats in North America and is responsible for Little Brown Myotis and Northern Myotis being listed as Endangered in Alberta.
The detection occurred along the Red Deer River, near Dinosaur Provincial Park. The badlands and eroded coulees in this region represents the largest known hibernation area in Alberta for multiple species of bats, so detection of Pd in this region is concerning to biologists.
We detected Pd at a bridge surveyed as part of WCS Canada’s project examining use of bridges by bats across western Canada. This detection would not have been possible without the support of numerous contributors, including donors, government agencies, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, community partners and volunteers. But our work is only beginning. We now need to monitor to better understand what bat species are affected, and how the disease affects bat numbers in the province.
To learn more, visit our Bats and Bridges project webpage.
(Photo: Horsethief Canyon—part of the extensive hibernation habitat found along the Red Deer River, where Pd was first detected in Alberta)