Don't touch the bat! Officials in Colorado's Jefferson County warn of rabies exposure

DENVER - Despite their cuddly demeanor, Coloradans should be wary of touching wild bats, even if injured, Jefferson County health officials said.

The warning comes after several people picked up or touched an injured bat near the Evergreen Lake trailhead on Sunday afternoon, according to a news release from Jefferson County Public Health. Animal control officers searched for the bat but could not find it, so the bat could not be tested for rabies.

However, several other bats found in homes or on trails in Jefferson County in recent months have tested positive for rabies, health officials said.

Anyone who touched the bat may have been exposed and should contact a healthcare provider or Jefferson County Public Health as soon as possible, officials stated in the release. Rabies is a serious disease affecting the brain and nervous system that can be deadly to people and animals if not treated right away. Treatment can prevent rabies if it is started soon after an exposure, health officials said.

Rabies is spread through the saliva of infected animals, including bats. Bats are the most commonly reported animal with rabies in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Many folks want to help when they see an animal that looks hurt or injured," Rachel Reichardt, who leads Jefferson County Public Health's Zoonosis Program, said in a statement. "The best way we can help is to make sure that our local animal control agencies can step in."

Signs of rabies in bats include being active during the day, being found in unusual places like inside a home or on the ground, being unable to fly or making contact with humans, according to the CDC.

"Avoid touching bats," CDC officials wrote on the agency's website. "Bat bites can be tiny, and you may not even know if you were bitten. If you do know that you were bitten or scratched by a bat, wash the wound with soap and water and get medical help right away. If bat saliva or brain material gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound, see a healthcare professional urgently."

If a bat is found in a home, residents should call animal control or their local health department to capture it for rabies testing. The bat should not be released without speaking to a public health expert, and the resident should not try to touch or catch the bat themselves, CDC officials said.

Roughly 20 bat species live in Colorado, some year-round and others that only migrate through the state, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The animals "can be found in every habitat in the state, from the eastern plains to the high mountain forests and western deserts, from rural towns to downtown Denver," wildlife officials said.

Bats are most active during the summer and spend the winter either hibernating in underground roosts throughout the state or migrating south, according to the National Park Service.

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 2:03 PM.