The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports that of the 40 rabid bats found in Los Angeles County in 2024, 16 of those rabid bats have been found in the Santa Clarita Valley. The latest cases of rabid bats found in the county include two bats found in September, both found in the SCV.

Rabid Bats found in Los Angeles County in 2024:

Altadena. February. Bat originally found on ground in Moreno Valley in Riverside County, brought to location in Altadena.

Azusa. April. Bat found alive on patio outside of an apartment. A dog chewed on the bat.

Santa Clarita. May. Bat found dead on the ground on the outside patio of a house.

Burbank. May. bat found alive on sidewalk, trying to fly. Found very close to entrance to an elementary school.

Santa Clarita. May. Bat found dead outside a home. Two dogs had possible contact.

Santa Clarita. June. Bat found alive in the backyard of a home.

Duarte. July. Bat found alive on the sidewalk in an apartment complex.

Lake Hughes. July. Bat found inside a location where multiple people had been sleeping.

Sylmar. July. Found on the driveway of a home.

Stevenson Ranch. July. Bat seen flying into a pool before being removed with a pool net.

Palmdale. July. Bat found alive on the ground on the outside patio of a house.

Topanga. July. Bat found alive on the ground at a school.

Santa Clarita. July. Bat found alive in the backyard of a home.

Santa Clarita. July. Bat found dead on the driveway of a home.

Sylmar. July. Bat found alive on the front porch of a home.

Stevenson Ranch. July. Bat found under a plaque on the front door on the outside of a home.

Santa Clarita. August. Bat found dead in the backyard of a home.

Santa Clarita. August. Bat was seen dropping to the ground from behind a shutter on the outside of a house.

Calabasas/Malibu. August. Bat found alive in a backyard pool.

Santa Clarita. August. Bat found dead by the mailboxes at an apartment complex.

Malibu. August. Bat found alive on the ground of an outdoor patio of a home.

Palmdale. August. Bat found alive outside of a home. A dog may have had contact with the bat.

Sherman Oaks. August. Bat found alive at a shopping plaza.

Granada Hills. August. Bat found alive in the backyard of a home.

Duarte. August. Bat found alive on the ground in the courtyard of an apartment complex.

Calabasas. August. Bat found alive in the backyard of a home.

Woodland Hills. August. Bat found dead in the backyard of a home. A dog had contact with the bat.

Santa Clarita. August. Bat found alive in the garage of a home.

Northridge. August. Bat found alive on the driveway of a home.

Santa Clarita. August. Bat found alive on the ground next to a garage.

Porter Ranch. August. Bat found dead in the front yard of a home.

Glendale. August. Bat found alive in the backyard of a home. A dog may have had contact with the bat.

Altadena. August. Bat found alive outside of a home hanging on a rock wall.

Altadena. August. Bat originally found in an outdoor water fountain at a home in San Bernardino County, brought to location in Altadena.

Woodland Hills. August. Bat found alive on the ground on the sidewalk at the entrance to a business.

Arcadia. August. Bat found alive on the ground on the driveway of a house.

Santa Clarita. August. Bat found alive on a tree in the front yard of a home.

Tarzana. August. Bat found alive on the ground in the backyard of a home. A dog may have had contact with the bat.

Santa Clarita. September. Bat found alive on the driveway of a home.

Santa Clarita. September. Bat found alive clinging to the outside wall of a home next to a sliding door.

Los Angeles County is home to a large number of bats of different species. Bats may live in urban and suburban areas, not just the countryside. Most people do not see local bats, even when they live nearby. Bats sleep during the day and come out at night to eat insects.

Bats are an important part of the ecosystem and help by eating insects and pollinating plants. Healthy bats will avoid humans and other animals. On rare occasions, a healthy bat may wander into your home while following insects. Sometimes finding a bat in your home means there are others living in the attic space of your home.

If a bat has rabies, it can spread it to people or pets through bites. Only about 1% of bats in nature have rabies. However, bats that fly during daylight or have encounters with people and pets are more likely to be rabid with about 10-15% of these bats testing positive for rabies in L.A. county.

Sometimes bats are found inside homes or on the ground in a yard. Encountering a bat may be a startling experience and a potentially dangerous situation, but you can safely handle the situation by following a few simple steps.

If you encounter a bat:

Stay calm. The bat’s intentions are not to harm you, but it will bite in self-defense.

Isolate the bat. Make sure no pets or people are near the bat.

DO NOT TOUCH THE BAT (or any other wildlife) with your bare hands. Wear thick gloves when you approach the animal, since an infected bat can transmit rabies through biting.

It is illegal to keep, injure, or kill bats. Please do not attempt to rehabilitate the bat on your own or harm any bats when trying to exclude them from your house. If you find a bat in your home or on the ground, contain it and call Animal Control and ask them to collect it for rabies testing.

Be sure to keep your dog’s rabies vaccinations up to date.

According to the Centers for Disease Control rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It can be spread to people and pets through the bites and scratches of an infected animal. Rabies primarily affects the central nervous system, leading to severe brain disease and death if medical care is not received before symptoms start.

Immediate medical attention following suspected rabies exposure is critical.

For more information about rabies visit www.cdc.gov/rabies/about/index.html.

Have an encounter with a bat in L.A. County? Call Veterinary Public Health for a rabies exposure consultation, (213) 288-7060
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

For more information visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/bats.htm.