Associated Press
July 28, 2010

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Even Batman isn't immune from an eviction notice these days.

The U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday it was barring entry to caves on service-owned land in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota because of white-nose syndrome, which has killed nearly a million bats in the eastern and southern U.S. and is spreading west.

The agency said it took the action to help prevent humans from inadvertently spreading the disease.

But thousands of people — professional and amateur — enjoy exploring the multitude of dark, damp underground crevices and caverns in the West. Many are chafing at the federal restrictions.

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