Safari Park reports rabid bat

County public health officials are looking for people who may have come in contact with a bat found at the San Diego Zoo Sa­fari Park on Monday, Sept. 23 at 2:15 p.m. that later tested positive for rabies.

The wild bat was not one that is on habitat at the Safari Park. Park visitors who had no physi­cal contact with the bat are not at risk for rabies.

A Safari Park team member saw a bat fall from a roof and land in an employee only sec­tion of the Africa Tram loading area, which is not accessible by the public.

A trained team member col­lected the bat safely. It was transported to a local rehabil­itation facility, where it later died and was submitted it to the County for rabies testing. The County Public Health Lab­oratory confirmed the bat was infected with rabies.

If you or someone in your family or group were in the ar­ea of the Africa Tram on Sept. 23 and had direct contact with a bat before 2:15 PM, you are urged to contact County Public Health Services as soon as pos­sible at (619) 692-8499.

“Human rabies is usually fatal without prompt post-ex­posure vaccine and treatment,” said Dr. Ankita Kadakia, Coun­ty interim public health officer. “Rabies transmission can hap­pen from a bat bite or if a bat’s saliva comes in contact with a cut or abrasion, or with mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth.”

The County has detected five rabid bats in 2024 throughout the San Diego region. Although bats can carry rabies, they are also an important part of na­ture. There are many species of bats found in San Diego County which feed on insects such as mosquitoes. Other bat species feed on nectar from plants and pollinate them in the process. You may see bats occasionally around sunset when they are most active.

It is important to appreciate wildlife from a safe distance and not touch them. If you do come in direct contact with a bat, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and wa­ter and get medical advice im­mediately.

Rabies is a preventable vi­ral disease that is most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal.

Symptoms of rabies in peo­ple can take weeks to months to develop after being exposed to a rabid animal. Once symp­toms develop, rabies is almost always fatal. However, prompt post-exposure treatment follow­ing exposure to the virus will prevent the disease.

Find more information about bats and rabies on the County’s website.