GOING BATTY? A MESSAGE FROM ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL ABOUT BATS (English and Espanol)
If you're wondering whether bats are dangerous to humans or pets, you should know that the short answer to that question is “not if they are left alone.” Contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind. In fact they can see almost as well as humans. However, at night, their ears are more important than their eyes - they use a special sonar system called 'echolocation,' meaning they find things using echoes. Because of this, bats have evolved into nocturnal (active at night) mammals. During the day, bats are typically roosting in trees, rock, caves and buildings. They prefer to avoid natural light. If you see a bat during the day, it is best to leave it alone and let it snooze. At dusk, it will fly out to hunt for food which consists of insects such as beetles, moths and mosquitoes - which actually makes them our friends! A bat can eat up to 12,000 mosquitoes in one hour!
While it is true that most cases of rabies being transmitted are due to bats, a low percentage of bats actually carry rabies. Each summer, Animal Care and Control (ACC) receives many phone calls about bats. Typically, these calls are referred to the Health Department to determine if the bat should be left alone or captured and tested. If the bat need to be captured, the Health Department will request ACC catch it. Less than 10% of captured bats test positive for rabies.
People who are unvaccinated for rabies and untrained to handle bats should refrain from doing so. If you find an injured bat, do not attempt to help the animal yourself or touch it in any way. If the bat is in your house, close off that room and call the Health Department.
To help Washington pets and people stay healthy, state law requires all dogs, cats and ferrets, regardless of indoor or outdoor status, be vaccinated. If your pet does not have a current rabies vaccination, please contact your veterinarian to update their shot.
About ACC
Wenatchee Valley Animal Care and Control (ACC) is a separate LLC of Wenatchee Valley Humane Society and is a government contracted agency. Its mission is to help protect the safety and well-being of the citizens and animals of our jurisdictions through compassion, education and law enforcement. ACC is contracted to provide services for the Cities of Cashmere, Chelan, East Wenatchee, Entiat, Rock Island, Wenatchee, the Town of Waterville and Chelan & Douglas Counties.
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En Espanol:
¿Tiene Murciélagos? Un mensaje de Animal Care & Control sobre los murciélagos.
Si se pregunta si los murciélagos son peligrosos para los humanos o las mascotas, debe saber que la respuesta corta a esa pregunta es "no si los dejan en paz". Contrariamente a la creencia popular, los murciélagos no son ciegos. De hecho, pueden ver casi tan bien como los humanos. Sin embargo, por la noche, sus oídos son más importantes que sus ojos: utilizan un sistema especial de sonar llamado "ecolocación", lo que significa que encuentran cosas utilizando ecos. Debido a esto, los murciélagos se han convertido en mamíferos nocturnos (activos en la noche). Durante el día, los murciélagos suelen posarse en árboles, rocas, cuevas y edificios. Prefieren evitar la luz natural. Si ves un murciélago durante el día, lo mejor es dejarlo solo, dejar que se duerma y, al anochecer, saldrá a cazar para encontrar alimentos que consisten en insectos como escarabajos, polillas y mosquitos, ¡lo que en realidad los convierte en nuestros amigos! ¡Un murciélago puede comer hasta 12,000 mosquitos en una hora!
Si bien es cierto que la mayoría de los casos de rabia que se transmiten se deben a los murciélagos, un bajo porcentaje de murciélagos son portadores de rabia. Cada verano, Animal Care and Control recibe llamadas telefónicas sobre murciélagos. Por lo general, estas llamadas se remiten al Departamento de Salud para determinar si el murciélago debe dejarse solo o si debe ser capturado y analizado. Si el murciélago necesita ser capturado, el Departamento de Salud le pedirá a Animal Care & Control que lo atrape. Menos del 10% de los murciélagos capturados dan positivo para la rabia.
Las personas que no están entrenadas y vacunadas no deben manejar murciélagos. Si encuentra un murciélago herido, no intente ayudar al animal ni lo toque de ninguna manera. Si el Murciélago está en su casa, cierre esa habitación y llame al Departamento de Salud.
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