Nearly 200 campers who paid to take part in an overnight camping experience at a Nebraska zoo found out the next morning that they had to get rabies shots after they were exposed to a rabid bat found loose in the zoo in the middle of the night.
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium said that one of the 186 people participating in an overnight campout event at the facility woke up to a wild bat flying around her head, according to The Associated Press. While an emergency medical official at the zoo said there were no bites or scratches found on the camper, the zoo located seven wild bats in the aquarium, one of which tested positive for rabies. All of the seven bats found were euthanized.
The zoo is now paying for campers to get rabies shots, and is also offering refunds for their participation in the camping events. According to local ABC affiliate KETV, the zoo recommended that the guests get rabies shots based on guidance from both the Nebraska State Veterinarian and the Nebraska Department of Health.
Sarah Woodhouse, the
zoo’s director of animal health said, “It is
not unusual for a wild bat to be infected with rabies, which is why you
should never directly touch a wild bat. The bats we identified
were Little brown bats, a common bat species in Nebraska that anyone
could find in their backyard or attic.”
The zoo said that while it had found no signs of any additional bats at the aquarium, it has decided to move all overnight camping events to a different portion of the zoo as workers investigate how the creatures were able to get into the area.
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