Maquoketa Caves State park
The caves at Maquoketa Caves State Park are closed to help slow a disease known as white-nose syndrome that is killing bats across the
eastern half of the United States. The DNR closed state owned caves that are known to serve as bat hibernation sites.
The closure is based on the recommendation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The disease has surfaced in Missouri. In Iowa, the caves
are primarily found in the northeast and far southeast counties.
Not a lot is known about the disease or how it is transported, but closing the caves is a precaution being taken to help slow the spread.
The disease is transmitted bat to bat, but it also might be transported to sites inadvertently by people carrying it in on their clothing or
in the mud on the flood.
If the spread of white-nose is slowed, it may give needed time to answer questions about the best management practices to help save bat populations.
