Wildlife and Rabies

 

Rabies

Rabies is a virus that can spread to mammals, including people. Rabies mostly affects the central nervous system and leads to severe brain disease and death if medical care is not received before symptoms start.

Rabies is generally transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, either through a bite or scratch. Bats are of special concern for a rabies exposure because their scratches and bites are very small and may not be noticeable. The time from the initial exposure (bite or scratch) to the appearance of rabies symptoms can be weeks to months.

In Wyoming, rabies is most commonly found in bats and skunks. Even though rabies in animals is rare, animal exposure, especially involving bats, is treated very seriously due to the fatal outcome if the animal is rabid. The University of Wyoming Rabies Information page provides reports on rabies in Wyoming.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information about rabies, how it spreads, who's at risk, and how to prevent it.

How to reduce your risk of a rabies infection during your stay at Grand Teton National Park

• Watch wildlife from a distance. Do not touch or pet wild animals.
• Alert a park ranger, campground host, or lodge representative immediately if you see aggressive, sick, or unusual behavior in an animal.
• Call the local health department or contact a park ranger if you are attacked, bitten, or scratched by a wild or domestic animal.
• If you've been bitten or scratched, immediately wash the bite or scratch for 15 minutes with warm water and soap.

If you have a bat in your room or your tent

• Do not approach or try to capture a bat.
• Leave the room immediately and contact a park ranger, campground host, or lodge representative. Don't sleep in your room or tent with a bat—it can increase your risk of potential rabies exposure.
• Do not let the bat fly out or your room. Trained personnel will catch the bat so it can be sent for rabies testing.
• If you had contact with a bat or slept in the presence of a bat, contact a park ranger, campground host, or lodge representative immediately.
• A public health professional will contact you to discuss your exposure to the bat and assess your risk. Based on your risk or potential rabies exposure, the public health professional may recommend rabies treatment.

Signs and symptoms of rabies in wildlife

It's important to keep in mind that if you see any mammal behaving strangely or looks sick, it could be infected with rabies or other diseases. Animals infected with rabies can lose their fear of humans and seem sleepy, confused or aggressive.

Bats

Unsual behaviors that could indicate rabies include:

• A bat that is active during the day.
• A bat that is crawling on the ground and does not fly away or is easily approached.
• A bat that is confused, acting aggressively, or flying in a strange or jerky way.

Wildlife

Unusual behaviors that could indicate rabies include:

• Lethargy.
• Loss of fear of humans or aggressive behavior.
• Circling, stumbling, or incoordination.

 

What is considered a bat exposure to rabies?

• A bite or a scratch from a bat to a human.
• Saliva contact from a bat to a human's open cut or mucus membrane.
• Physical contact with a bat.
• A person who cannot confirm or communicate a potential exposure—like a child, a deep sleeper, or someone who is mentally impaired or on mind-altering drugs—might be considered at-risk.

Why does exposure to bats raise concerns about rabies?

Bat teeth are small and a bite might not bleed or be visible or painful. A person may not realize that an exposure has occurred or may not think a bite or scratch requires medical attention.

 

Bats in Grand Teton National Park

Bats are an important part in maintaining the health of the ecosystem at Grand Teton National Park. They are nature's pest managers, eating insects like mosquitoes every night.

The most common species found in the park are little brown bats, followed by big brown, silver-haired, hoary, Yuma, long-legged, and long-eared bats. California myotic and western small-footed bats have also been identified in the park.

Curious about bats? Learn more.