Northern long-eared bat, ravaged by a deadly fungus, proposed for endangered species listing

Federal officials Tuesday proposed designating the northern long-eared bat, once common but ravaged by a deadly fungus, as an endangered species.

The population has plummeted since colonies infected with white-nose syndrome were spotted in New York caves in the mid-2000s. The bat is likely to go extinct without a dramatic turnaround, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.

"It's going to be difficult but we're going to do everything humanly possible to stop the decline," said Charlie Wooley, director of the service's Midwest region.