Veterinary Public Health Program
313 N Figueroa St. Rm 1127
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tel (213) 288-7060
Fax (213) 481-2375 vet@ph.lacounty.gov
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Bats
Are there any bats
actually living in Los Angeles
County?
Never
touch a
bat
(video
0:32)
The answer may surprise
you—LA County is home to a
large number of bats of
different species! Bats may
live in urban and suburban
areas, not just the
countryside. Most people do
not see our local bats, even
when they live nearby. Bats
sleep during the day, and come
out at night to eat insects.
Have an encounter with a bat in LA County?
Call Veterinary Public Health for a rabies exposure consultation - 213-288-7060
Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.
Bats are an important part
of the ecosystem and help us
by eating insects and
pollinating plants. Healthy
bats will avoid humans and
other animals. On rare
occasions, a healthy bat
may wander into your home
while following insects.
Sometimes finding a bat in
your home means there are
others living in the attic
space of your home.
If a bat has rabies, it can
spread it to people or pets
through bites. Only about 1%
of bats in nature have
rabies. However, bats that fly during
daylight or have encounters
with people and pets are
more likely to be
rabid—in recent years about 10-15% of these
bats test positive for
rabies in our county. In the
peak months of late summer,
1 out of every 3 bats tested
is positive for rabies.
Sometimes bats are found
inside homes or on the
ground in a yard.
Encountering a bat may be a
startling experience and a
potentially dangerous
situation, but you can
safely handle the situation
by following a few simple
steps.
Things to remember
if you encounter a bat:
Stay calm. The bat’s
intentions are not to harm
you, but it will bite in
self-defense.
Isolate the bat. Make
sure no pets or people are
near the bat.
DO NOT TOUCH THE
BAT (or
any other wildlife) with
your bare hands. Wear thick
gloves when you approach the
animal, since an infected
bat can transmit rabies
through biting.
It is illegal to keep,
injure, or kill bats. Please
do not attempt to
rehabilitate the bat on your
own or harm any bats when
trying to exclude them from
your house. If you find a
bat in your home or on the
ground, contain it
and call Animal Control and ask them to collect it for rabies testing.
