So I was reading an interesting article yesterday in the New York Times about a strange sickness afflicting bats in the New York area. The disease apparently is spreading rapidly, and the article suggested that as much as 90 percent of the bats hybernating in four different caves had died since last winter. So far, scientists can't explain what, or why this is happening. They dont know if a virus, a bacteria, or a toxin is causing the sickness. Call me crazy, but I thinks its a little alarming.

Its funny because yesterday, while I was reading the story, I told a classmate about the dying bats and she said, "Oh, thats a good thing, right?" Wow. I realize that bats are often regarded as flying rats, but come on - the sudden and inexplicable death of thousands of bats - how could that be a good thing? Scientists have predicted that this "sickness" could bring many different types of bats onto the endangered species list and could even lead to the extinction of some kinds.

In one cave, the number of bats went from over 15,000 in 2005, down to around 1,500 last year.

For those of you out there who might not be animal lovers, I can understand why you might not think that this is important. But, you have to keep in mind that bats eat a lot of insects, including mosquitoes, and that the disappearance of bats may lead to more bugs! Not a good thing, if you ask me.

So far, scientists believe that people can transmit the disease to different areas, but there is no evidence that suggests that people are susceptable to it. Tourists are now being asked to decontaminate all the gear they use while exploring bat caves, and are even being asked to decontaminate the vehicles they use the drive to the caves in order to prevent the spread of this sickness.