Visitors to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park are being urged to come forward if they had contact with a wild bat after the animal tested positive for rabies.
A deceased wild bat was recovered outside the Oasis on the Rocks restaurant on July 11, and later tested positive for rabies, according to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Safari Park officials have assured that visitors who had no physical contact with the bat are not at risk for rabies.
County health officials are asking anyone who may have had direct contact with the bat to come forward for evaluation.
The bat was not part of the Safari Park's animal collection, and officials said no human contact has been reported.
The bat was tested by the County Public Health Laboratory and was found to be positive for rabies, San Diego County noted.
This marks the 19th bat to test positive for rabies in San Diego County this year, a significant increase from the 21 bats that tested positive in all of 2025.
Rabies is an extremely serious viral disease with a nearly 100% fatality rate if not caught early enough, according to Dr. Ankita Kadakia, the county's deputy public health officer.
"We are investigating to ensure anyone who came into contact with the bat receives care quickly," Dr. Kadakia said. "Once symptoms start, there is no treatment for rabies."
Wildlife experts say the incident serves as a reminder that people should never handle bats, even though they play an important role in the environment.
Dr. Alexis Wohl, wildlife veterinary manager at the San Diego Humane Society, noted that bats are a huge benefit to the region's gardens and farms, eating up to 1,000 mosquito-sized bugs per hour.
Bats are one of the primary carriers of rabies in the United States and account for most human rabies cases, according to Dr. Brian Collins, a veterinarian with the Cornell Riney Canine Health Center.
"If a bat is encountered in public, it is very important not to touch it," Dr. Collins advised. "Instead, keep people and pets away from the animal and notify property management, animal control, or local law enforcement."
Dr. Collins also recommended washing the affected area with soap and water for 10 to 15 minutes if you know or suspect that you have had physical contact with the bat.
