Researchers see bat populations decline in Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Wildlife researchers who monitor bats in Illinois have a Halloween message: Bats have more to fear from humans than we do from them.

Steve Taylor says bat numbers in Illinois have fallen drastically over the past few years, particularly in species that hibernate in caves during winter. Taylor is a conservation biologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey.

Programs like his monitor bats statewide. They capture, identify and band individuals. They also collect recordings of high-frequency bat calls.

Bat populations are vulnerable to a fungal disease that can spread through human transport. Bats are also threatened by wind energy farms, where they are hit by spinning turbine blades.