The Nature Conservancy in Indiana - JWN

Cave Closings around IN

Effective since May 1, 2009 - All caves, sinkholes, tunnels and abandoned mines on Conservancy-owned land are closed to the public through April 2010.

All state-owned caves are closed with the exception of Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell.

Caves found in the Hoosier National Forest have also closed.

Go Deeper

U.S. Fish & Wildlife/ Northeast Region's White-nosed Syndrome pages

Indiana State University's Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation

Journey with Nature's Indiana Bat page

Caves across Indiana have temporarily closed, but why? Blame it on the White-nosed Syndrome - an affliction killing off bats at an alarming rate.

Caves Closed: A White-nosed Syndrome Precaution

This past May, The Nature Conservancy's Indiana Chapter announced that all caves present on Conservancy properties would be closed to cavers and other outdoor enthusiasts until April 2010. This move came shortly after the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (in consultation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services) decided to close their caves with the exception of Twin Caves at Spring Mill State Park.

The cave closings are a proactive step in preventing the uncontrolled spread of white-nosed syndrome (WNS), which is killing bats in record numbers in the eastern United States. Though there is no known human health risk associated with WNS in bats, the closing of caves is considered a necessary precaution. Though scientists are reasonably certain that WNS is transmitted from bat to bat, caves found a significant distance from WNS-infected hibernacula have shown evidence of white-nosed syndrome. This has lead scientists to suspect that humans may inadvertently carry the fungus from cave to cave where bats hibernate.

Though up to 95 percent of bats face certain death from white-nose syndrome, many federal and local agencies, including The Nature Conservancy, believe that temporarily closing these caves be a great help to those that manage to survive. Both summer maternity and winter hibernation sites in the northeastern states (including Indiana) will remain closed well into 2010. Until then, The Nature Conservancy will continue to help the investigation by providing access to protected caves for monitoring and research purposes.

The Battle for Bats

Ravenswood Media created "The Battle For Bats" which gives an in-depth look at White Nose Sydrome, the disease that's killing hundreds of thousands of bats in the Eastern US. The program presents the cooperation between government agencies to develop a plan to stop the disease from spreading.

The Battle for Bats: White Nose Syndrome from Ravenswood Media on Vimeo.