Highlands, North Carolina — In the North Carolina town of Highlands, about 20 feet below ground in a goldmine from the 1800s, there is a race against time to save a bat population whose numbers are being decimated by a disease known as white-nose syndrome.

North Carolina's tricolored bats are unstable, among several species of bats quickly dying off in the dark. The bats eat the same bugs that kill crops, meaning they play a critical role in the ecosystem.

"As bat populations are declining, we see that there's a greater need for use of pesticides," said Rada Petrick, a bat expert and research assistant professor of biology at the University of North Carolina who also serves as director of the UNC Institute for the Environment Highlands Field Site.

These flying creatures may look scary

See Full Page