Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 21
San Diego Zoo Safari Park Urges Bat Contacts to Come Forward After 19th Rabies Case
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 21

San Diego Zoo Safari Park Urges Bat Contacts to Come Forward After 19th Rabies Case

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 21

Summary

  • A wild bat found dead outside the Oasis on the Rocks restaurant on July 11 later tested positive for rabies, prompting the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to ask any visitor who had direct contact to seek evaluation.
  • County health officials said visitors with no physical contact are not at risk, and the park reported no known human contact with the bat, which was not part of its animal collection.
  • San Diego County's public health lab confirmed the case, marking the county's 19th rabid bat of 2026 after 21 positive bats in all of 2025.
  • Health and wildlife experts said rabies is nearly 100% fatal once symptoms begin and advised people never to handle bats, instead keeping people and pets away and reporting the animal.

Insights

Is San Diego's surge in rabid bats a local issue or a sign of a larger ecological problem?
Are urban parks and zoos designed to prevent increasing disease risks from local wildlife?
How can we protect public health from rabies without harming ecologically vital bat populations?