Iowa caves may be closed for remainder of 2010

An environmental specialist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the state's caves may remain closed for the rest of the year.

The caves were closed earlier this spring after a disease that has killed about 1 million bats across the country was discovered. Iowa environmental specialist Daryl Howell says the three caves were "fairly likely" to be shuttered for the rest of 2010.

The closed caves include Maquoketa Caves State Park in Maquoketa, Searryl's Cave State Preserve in Jones County and Starr's Cave near Burlington. Howell says state experts will have more information about the status of the disease and the bats after they check the caves during the fall and winter.

Howell has said about 2,000 bats live in Iowa caves between October and March.