Did you know bat maternity season runs from April through July?  With the onset of bat maternity season comes an increase in the number and visibility of bats.  As the mother bat hunts for food, the pups will sometimes cling to their mother as she flies.  As the pups grow larger and heavier, mother may tire more quickly and have to rest more often.  Sometimes, they end up in very conspicuous locations where they are easily found by people and pets.​

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By now, some of the young bats have started flying on  their own.  Inexperienced juvenile bats are clumsy in their attempts to fly and may end up crash landing.  This is due to a lack of grace rather than a lack of good health.  Although most of the bats encountered by pets and people are not diseased, our recommendation to the public remains the same.  Do not touch any bat that you come across and avoid areas where bats are roosting.​

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Bites and scratches from bats are not always obvious, so every incident of a person or animal having direct contact with a bat should be considered a possible exposure to rabies, unless the bat is tested and found to be negative for rabies.  If a bat is found in a room where a person has been sleeping, in a room with an unattended child, a bat is seen near a mentally impaired or intoxicated person, or in an area where a pet was unsupervised, the same precautions should be taken.​

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If the bat is not available for rabies testing, the person should speak with a physician (veterinarian in the case of pet exposure) and the local health department to assess the risk of exposure and to discuss rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).  All bites or scratches should be reported to the Local Rabies Control Authority as well.  We urge anyone who has had contact with a bat to call us at 281-999-3191.​

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Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services,

Veterinary Public Health Division

612 Canino Rd.,

Houston, Texas 77076

281-999-3191