[KHTS] – The ninth rabid bat of the season has been found in Los Angeles County, Public Health officials reported Wednesday.
The bat was found in Newhall, staggering around a residential patio. The resident covered the bat with a pool net and kept the family dog away from it until Animal Control arrived.
No bites or injuries were reported.
It was the first rabid bat reported in June and the third found in the Santa Clarita Valley since the season started in February.
A dead bat was found in an Agua Dulce swimming pool in February and a live bat was found on the ground in Newhall in April.
Rabid bats have also been found in Palmdale, Los Angeles, Topanga and Monrovia this year.
Last year’s rabid bat season started in March and saw nearly half of the county’s identified rabid bats–14 of 33–turning up in the Santa Clarita Valley, even though the SCV has less than three percent of the county’s human population.
Bats are the most common carriers of rabies, but far fewer than one percent of bats actually have rabies.
If a bat is flying during the daytime, showing interest in a pet’s food dish, flopping around on the ground or dead in the water, residents shouldn’t touch it. Instead, they should call Animal Control.
There’s been only one case of a bat biting a human in L.A. County in recent years. It happened two years ago in Acton when a sick bat fell out of a tree and landed on someone’s shoulder.
A bat bite feels like a tiny pin-prick, and often it’s difficult to tell if and when it happens. Anyone who believes they might have been bitten by a bat should seek medical attention right away. Bats that are found indoors near a sleeping person, young child, adult that cannot speak or pet should also be tested for rabies.
Pets’ shots should be kept current. If Animal Control thinks a pet has been bitten they’ll be subject to 30 days’ home quarantine if they’ve had all their shots. Otherwise they’ll be taken to a shelter for six months for observation.
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20 Comments
C’mon, that bat is hammered!!! Look at that face! Rabies my ass!
Tis the season… to share this awesome meme! :)
Tis the season… to share this awesome meme! :)
Ahaha there rabid
Corbin Matthew Mostafania
Lorena Garay
Lorena Garay
Funny that it is on Newhall!
Funny that it is on Newhall!
Bat was caught in a sobriety checkpoint.
Yikes!
It should be noted that pets who need their rabies shots include indoor-only animals, since bats can get inside houses or apartments. Cat owners in particular need to be sure that their cats are current on their vaccinations even if the cat never goes outside.
If a pet has rabies vaccinations, would they be safe if bitten by a rabid animal? Just wondering?
Vaccines are not 100%
That poor baby !!! I don’t know if we have a bat sanctuary type of place for them . I know in Australia they do.
We need them,
Many flowers dependent on bat pollination !!!!
Allison Pari Re your statement: “….saw nearly half of the county’s identified rabid bats–14 of 33–turning up in the Santa Clarita Valley, even though the SCV has less than three percent of the county’s human population.
Are you making some sort of connection between human population levels and dead bats?
It is to call attention to the fact that the Santa Clarita Valley has just 3 percent of the county’s population but NEARLY HALF OF THE RABIES IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY. (The population figure is merely to point out that all things being equal, on a percentage basis we shouldn’t have more than 3 percent of the rabies — but we do. WAAAY more.)