San Diego Zoo Safari Park bat tests positive for rabies, prompting warning
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Visitors to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park are asked to come forward if they come into contact with a wild bat after the animal tested positive for rabies.
On July 11, a dead wild bat was found outside the Oasis on the Rocks restaurant. He later tested positive for rabies, according to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
“Safari Park visitors who do not have physical contact with a bat are not at risk of rabies,” the park told Fox News Digital.
A CHILD WHO WAS ‘UNSUPERVISED’ AT HERSHEYPARK Zoo WAS INJURED BY A WOLF WHEN HE CRAWLED UNDER THE SAFETY BARRIER
County health officials are asking anyone who may have had direct contact with the bat to come forward for evaluation.
The bat was not part of the Safari Park’s animal collection and officials said no human contact had been reported.
Visitors to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (not pictured) are asked to come forward if they came into contact with a wild bat after the animal tested positive for rabies. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
San Diego County stated that the bat was tested by the County Public Health Laboratory and confirmed that it was positive for rabies.
This marks the 19th bat to test positive for rabies in San Diego County this year. According to county officials, 21 bats have tested positive throughout 2025.
“Rabies is an extremely serious viral disease and one of the deadliest diseases. [a] almost 100% fatality [rate] If it is not caught early enough,” Dr. Ankita Kadakia, the county’s deputy public health officer, said in a statement.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
“We are investigating to ensure that anyone who comes into contact with the bat receives prompt treatment. There is no cure for rabies once symptoms begin,” Kadakia said. he said.
Wildlife experts say the incident is a reminder that bats should never touch humans, even though they play an important role in the environment.
Experts have said people should never touch bats, even though they play an important role in the environment. (iStock)
San Diego Humane Society wildlife veterinarian director Dr. “More than 20 different species of bats live in San Diego County, and these animals are a huge benefit to gardens and farms in our area; they eat up to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects per hour,” Alexis Wohl told Fox News Digital.
CLICK FOR MORE LIFE STORIES
“Although it is rare for bats to carry rabies, it is important to be careful and not touch them with bare hands,” Wohl said.
Dr., a veterinarian at New York-based Cornell Riney Canine Health Center. Bats are one of the primary carriers of rabies in the United States and are responsible for most cases of rabies in humans, Brian Collins said.
The bat was not part of the Safari Park’s animal collection and officials said no human contact had been reported. (Amy Sparwasser/iStock)
“If a bat is encountered in public, it is very important not to touch it,” Collins told Fox News Digital.
Instead, he suggested keeping people and pets away from the animal and notifying property management, animal control or local law enforcement.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
“If you know or suspect you have made physical contact with a bat, you should wash the affected area with soap and water for 10 to 15 minutes,” Collins said.
