For many years now, Austin has been known as an urban bat colony. Because bats are so plentiful in the Austin area we want residents to be educated about these animals and to understand what to do in various situations.
WHAT IS “POSSIBLE RABIES EXPOSURE?”
According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, rabies exposure occurs only when a person is bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal, or when abrasions, open wounds, or mucous membranes are contaminated with the saliva, brain, or nervous system tissue of a potentially rabid animal. Touching such an animal, or contact with its urine or feces does not constitute exposure.
A BAT IN A BUILDING
Austin/Travis County Animal Services does not provide a bat removal service for buildings in which bat colonies are roosting. Animal Control only responds in cases of possible rabies exposure as a result of human/bat contact. In these cases, Animal Control will respond to the scene and impound the individual bat involved for testing purposes. Here are some additional tips:
many bats enter homes, apartments and businesses through unscreened windows and opened doors—particularly when the weather is nice in the fall and spring
bats will generally leave a building on their own, given the chance
if you find a bat in a room, do not try to catch it (unless testing is necessary because a person or pet has been sleeping in the room while the bat was present)
to encourage a bat to leave on its own, open windows, turn the lights on, and leave the room, closing the door behind you and keeping children and pets out of the area
check the area every few hours to see if the bat has departed—it may take up to 18 hours for a bat to leave a resting place
if you MUST remove a resting bat from a room immediately (because there is no way to avoid contact with people or pets), put on thick leather gloves and carefully place a wide-mouthed cup, jar, or coffee can over the resting bat, slip a piece of cardboard between the opening and the resting surface, then take the container outdoors to release the bat
NEVER HANDLE A BAT—ALIVE OR DEAD—WITH YOUR BARE HANDS
Sick or Injured bats may be released to rehabbers holding state permits with the exception of a bat that has been or may have been in contact with a person or pet. That bat must be released only to Town Lake Animal Center or to an Animal Control Officer Keep people and pets away from the bat and call Animal Control at 3-1-1.
DEAD BATS
there is no danger of rabies from a dead bat if it is not handled
if the bat is in an isolated area where contact with people is unlikely, you can simply pick it up carefully with a thick piece of newspaper, or scoop it up in a coffee can or other container, put it in a bag, and place it in the trash
If the bat is in an area where it may have come in contact with a person or pet, call Animal Control at 3-1-1
IF SOMEONE IS BITTEN BY A BAT
Call Animal Control immediately at 3-1-1 to report the incident, and administer first aid to the victim
if possible, confine or try to keep track of the bat until Animal Control arrives to capture it for testing
Animal Control will need the name, address, and phone number of the victim and the victim's personal physician; the address where the incident occurred; and information on how and where the person was bitten
the victim should contact his or her personal physician as soon as possible, and inform Animal Control of physician's response
the victim's personal physician will determine whether or not to initiate rabies post-exposure treatment pending the results of the test
IF YOUR PET CATCHES OR KILLS A BAT
confine the bat and call Animal Control at 3-1-1 for further instructions
take your pet to the vet immediately for a rabies vaccination – even if the previous vaccination is not yet expired
confine the pet, preventing contact with persons or animals outside the family until test results are received
IF BATS HAVE TAKEN UP RESIDENCE
If bats are roosting in an attic or similar area, a one-way exit can be constructed which allows them to leave in search of food, but will prevent their re-entry. Many pest control professionals can help you with this problem, and Bat Conservation International can provide you with information on how to evict bats yourself. Do not use one-way exits during June and July or flightless young may be trapped inside!
For more information, contact:
Austin/Travis Co. Animal Control
3-1-1
Bat Conservation International www.batcon.org
327-9721
Town Lake Animal Center
3-1-1
Courtesy of Austin/Travis County Animal Services and Bat Conservation International
