Bats testing positive for rabies in Sask. a reminder to be cautious, vaccinate pets: wildlife expert

SaskatchewanThe province’s rabies response program recorded 13 positive rabies cases in bats as of Aug. 31 this year, up from 12 all of last year.5 rabid bats found in province this AugustCBC News · Posted: Sep 29, 2025 3:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoBig brown bats are the most common bat breed in Saskatchewan. (Junction Creek Stewardship Committee)People who live in the city of Warman, Sask., are being warned to avoid contact with bats after one of the animals found in the community recently tested positive for rabies.The city, about 21 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, issued the warning last week and reminded people to keep their distance from bats and to seek medical attention immediately if they are scratched or bitten by the animals.Jan Shadick, executive director with the Living Sky Rehabilitation Centre in Saskatoon, a wildlife rescue group, said rabies in bats is quite rare, with only about one per cent of the animals testing positive.As of Aug. 31, the Saskatchewan Provincial Rabies Response Program had recorded 13 rabies cases in bats in the province so far this year. That’s up from 2024, when the program logged 12 rabies cases in the winged mammals for the entire year.Despite the low numbers, Shadick said people should take precautions if they have to handle bats, including wearing thick leather gloves and seeking medical attention immediately for post-exposure vaccinations if the bat bites or scratches them.The only way to test for rabies is to examine the brain tissue of a dead animal.Once contracted, rabies is 100 per cent fatal to all mammals, including humans.”Dogs and cats are probably the ones that are most likely to encounter some of these bats, because they’re going to go find them in crevices and find them on the ground and poke their nose at them because they’re curious,” Shadick told Saskatoon Morning host Candice Lipski.Shadick said it’s important that people vaccinate their pets to prevent them from contracting the rabies virus.She noted that people can call Living Sky Rehabilitation Centre for tips on dealing with a bat that has made its way into a home or other enclosed space.