SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A cave system in southern Illinois closed more than a decade ago will reopen to the public this month.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced this week that Illinois Caverns in Monroe County will reopen on Wednesday.
Officials closed the cave in 2010 as a precaution for bats who live there due to the spread of a fatal disease called White-nose Syndrome. The disease, known as WNS, is named after the white fungus found on the muzzle, ears, and wings of infected bats.
Officials feared that humans exploring caves could spread it from one location to another.
