Harnessing the utility of the citizens' participation, the biologists have launched the 'Neighborhood Batwatch Program' to engage bat lovers for keeping track on the spread of a deadly fungus, which is causing death of millions of North American bats since 2006.

This fungal disease which is severely affecting the North American bats is called White-nose Syndrome was first detected in a New York state cave in 2006 and has been estimated to cause nearly seven million deaths of North American bats till date.

Craig Willis, a biologist at the University of Winnipeg and one of Canada's leading experts on the disease informed that the 'Neighborhood Batwatch Program' is already running in Quebec and now it is being expanded to Ontario. The program is funded in part by the 'Species at Risk Stewardship Fund' and the volunteers are given a 'bat detector' device to track bats in their neighborhood.

This deadly white fungus that grows on the noses and wings of the bats, interferes with the bats' ability to hibernate. Consequently, hibernating bat tends to rouse from sleep for an hour or two every three weeks on average, which depletes the fat stores of the bats and leaves them dehydrated and starving.

The scientists believe that this disease, which originated in Europe, was brought to North America from there, and over the years it has spread throughout Eastern Canada and further southward and westward across the United States.

Willis hopefully added that some bats seem to be surviving the infection but further research is needed to ascertain if the affected bats are reproducing.