The week before Halloween is perfect for #batweek! We humans tend to be afraid of these creatures of the night but humans are potentially more harmful to them than they are to us. Now the New York Department of Environmental Conservation is asking that you stay out of the over 100 caves around the state for the good of the bats and for your own good.

Bats hibernate in New York State in these seasonal caves and mines and your presence could kill them with "white-nose syndrome". Researchers have noticed a white fungus encircling the noses of some of the deceased bats.

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Right now, bats hunkering down in their winter homes are highly susceptible to disturbance from even the quietest cave visits. If disturbed, bats will wake from hibernation and expend significantly more energy than normal, increasing the harm caused by the white-nose disease. - NYDEC Commissioner Seggos

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