News Release

Bandelier National Monument Reports Bat Tested Positive for Rabies

Date: August 7, 2024
Contact: David Morgan, [phone]
Contact: Zachary Whitlow, [phone]

Los Alamos, N.M. – Bandelier National Monument has confirmed that a bat found dead in the park has tested positive for rabies. This is the first confirmed rabies case of the year for northern New Mexico. The dead bat was found in the Cottonwood Picnic Area on July 7. No known human contact with the bat has been reported, but we advise anyone who touched or had contact with any bat near the Cottonwood Picnic Area in early July to contact their healthcare provider or New Mexico Department of Health promptly.

Rabies is a fatal disease that can affect any mammal, including bats. For your safety, be aware that any bat that allows you to approach it, is unable to fly, is active during the day, or is found in an unusual place may be sick with rabies and should never be handled. If you find yourself near a bat, dead or alive, do not touch it.  

Bat bites can be very small and are not always visible or painful, so it is important to talk with your healthcare provider or call the New Mexico Department of Health at [phone] if you have questions about possible contact with a bat.  Rabies vaccines are recommended for anyone who has had contact with a bat, or who finds a bat in the room where they were sleeping or where a child was unattended. 

In addition, New Mexico Department of Health recommends the following to keep you and your family safe from rabies:  

• Always keep pets on a leash. The rabies vaccine is the best way to protect your pets if they encounter a rabid wild animal. Pets should be up to date on their legally required rabies vaccinations and wearing current license tags on their collar. If your cat or dog has been bitten or scratched, especially by a wild animal, call your pet’s veterinarian even if the wound is superficial. 
• Horses and other livestock should also be considered for rabies vaccination to protect them from rabid animals that may attack them.
• Stay away from wild or unfamiliar animals. Do not attempt to feed, approach, or touch wild animals (alive or dead). Teach this important message to your children and always keep a close eye on your kids. 
• If you or someone you know are bitten by an animal, or come into contact with an animal’s saliva, wash the exposed site immediately with soap and water. Be sure to report the bite to local animal control and seek medical care as soon as possible.  
• If you or your pets are bitten or otherwise exposed to the saliva of wild animals, seek medical care immediately and contact the New Mexico Department of Health at [phone].  

For more information about rabies, see the New Mexico Department of Health website at: https://nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/zdp/rab/.