A colony of bats near Libby Dam tested positive for the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, marking the first detection of the deadly disease in western Montana.

Since it was first observed in New York in 2006, white-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats across the U.S. and Canada.

The disease is caused by a cold-loving fungus, which colonizes the skin of bats. As the fungus grows, it eats lesions into the bat’s wings and begins to disrupt physiological systems, including the bat’s hibernation cycles. Infected bats wake up frequently during the winter. The increased activity eventually leads to starvation as the bat depletes its fat reserves.

“This is probably one of, if not the most, detrimental wildlife disease we’ve seen in North America,” said Shannon Hilty, the state bat bi

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