Holy spelunker: Caves closed to fight bat fungus

Even Batman isn't immune from an eviction notice these days.

The U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday it was barring entry to caves on service-owned land in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota because of white-nose syndrome, which has killed nearly a million bats in the eastern and southern U.S. and is spreading west.

The agency said it took the action to help prevent humans from inadvertently spreading the disease.

But thousands of people - professional and amateur - enjoy exploring the multitude of dark, damp underground crevices and caverns in the West. Many are chafing at the federal restrictions.

"It's just like Prohibition," said Richard Rhinehart of Denver, who has a caving blog and has been spelunking since he was in high school in 1974.

Deputy Regional Forester Tony Dixon said it was impractical for the agency to widely enforce the ban, given the vast number of caves in the Rocky Mountain region. He appealed to cave explorers to voluntarily adhere to the restriction and help the agency determine which caves and mines don't harbor bats.

It's possible caves without bats can be reopened, Dixon said.

Forest Service regions in the East and South have already imposed bat cave closures. But a complete ban on caving has proven ineffective, said Rhinehart, a member of the National Speleological Society.

He said it would be best to keep some mines and caves open so people can satisfy their need to explore until the bat disease passes.

"You can't get 100 percent of the people to follow an order at any time," Rhinehart said. "We were hoping for something better, such as a targeted closure because that is what science is suggesting would be the best course of action."

Rhinehart estimated as many as 500 people in Colorado are serious cavers associated with the society, and another 10,000 to 15,000 individuals are part-time cave recreationists.

The Rocky Mountain region consists of 22 million acres of forest and grassland in the five affected states, with more than 30,000 abandoned mines and hundreds of caves, Dixon said.

There will be exceptions to the closure, he said. For instance, scientists will be allowed to conduct research and collect data that can be used to help monitor the situation, and commercial operators could get special permits if they have decontamination procedures.

Wonderland Cave at Sturgis, S.D., the only concessionaire cave affected by the order, will be allowed to remain open because it controls public access and can prevent introduction of the fungus, Dixon said.

Caves on private land are not affected by the Forest Service order, but Dixon said the agency will work with owners to educate them on the disease.

The Forest Service will post signs at caves and kiosks as well as information on its website, Dixon said.

The fungus linked to white-nose syndrome appears to thrive in cold, moist caves and affects hibernating bats. It is transmitted bat-to-bat, and it's believed that it can be transported on the clothing and gear of people visiting or exploring caves. There have been no cases of the fungus affecting humans.

Dixon said possible cases of the fungus have been found in bats as far west as Oklahoma, which borders Colorado and Kansas.

The fungus forms a white covering that irritates the bats' faces and wings, burns up the mammals' fat reserves and awakens them early from hibernation. Stricken bats exhibit unusual behavior, such as flying during the day, with many starving or freezing.

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Online:

National Speleological Society: http://www.caves.org/

Colorado Caves: http://www.coloradocaves.org/

U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/wns