DAVIS—
Yolo County Animal Services is warning parents at Davis Community Park to beware of rabid bats in the area. Last week kids found a bat crawling from tires in the playground structure. Tests showed that it was rabid.
County officials believe it came from a bat colony making it’s home underneath a nearby footbridge over Covell Boulevard. Rabid bats are not uncommon. There are signs near the bridge asking people who find dead bats to contact Animal Services and to not touch them.
Bat educator Corkey Quirk, who also runs a bat rescue organization, says rabid batrs aren’t aggressive, and you can’t tell when a bat is sick. She always wears gloves when she handles bats she uses in lectures.
“Rabies is a virus, it’s passed through saliva so if one does not handle the bat you’re not exposing yourself,” said Quirk.