Tours of Devil’s Icebox cave near Columbia scrapped to protect bats from deadly fungus
By APMonday, August 2, 2010
Bat fungus nixes Mo. park wild cave tours
COLUMBIA, Mo. — A bat-killing fungus has led the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to cancel wild cave tours at Rock Bridge State Park near Columbia.
Devil’s Icebox is considered one of the state’s most biologically diverse wild caves. But the discovery of a fungus known as white-nose syndrome in three Missouri caves has prompted the temporary closing of several wild caves in state parks.
White-nose syndrome has devastated bat populations in parts of the eastern U.S. and has spread westward.
Public tours of the Missouri park system’s four major show caves will remain available. State officials will decide this winter whether to reopen wild caves for spring 2011 tours.
YOUR VIEW POINT
