I am concerned about several colonies of bats that live near a Veterans hospital in Washington State. According to the article I read on CNN.com there has been talk of eradicating the colonies because they are considered to be a nuisance. I realize that zoonotic diseases are a concern especially in a hospital environment. I also realize that I don't have all the facts yet. Still, I find it disturbing that they are discussing eradicating the bats rather than finding other means to deter the bats from roosting in the hospital, like fixing the builiding and installing more suitable and appealing places for bats to roost safely. They started discussing eradication before they even tested the bats for diseases. I don't live in the NorthWest, so I am not familiar with the area. I would like to see that the bats are treated fairly and not killed because they are bats. I would like to do something but I don't know what I can do or even where to begin. Does anyone have any ideas?

For anybody interested in an update: I contacted several bat conservation organizations who have contacted Veteran affairs to see what can be done for the bats.