Bat in Banff tests positive for rabies, first in more than 20 years
Parks Canada says rabies symptoms include flying during daylight hours and having trouble flying
Parks Canada is asking visitors to Banff National Park to watch the skies for bats "not acting normally" after one tested positive for rabies last week.
The case of rabies was confirmed last Friday after park officials sent the body of a dead bat for testing.
Bill Hunt, Parks Canada resource conservation manager with the Banff field unit, said dead bats found in Banff are sent for testing as a precaution, adding this is the first positive case of a rabid bat in the park in more than 20 years.
"In this particular case, we were quite surprised that it came back with a positive result," Hunt said.
"If you look historically in Alberta, there's a number of cases each year. Typically in Alberta, it's involving bats. Across Canada, those numbers vary a lot and include skunks and other animals."
Hunt said visitors to the park should be on the look out for bats flying around during daylight hours or bats who appear having difficulty flying. These are signs the animal may have rabies.
Visitors who see a bat with these symptoms or have encounters with wildlife are asked to call the Banff Dispatch line at 403-762-1407.
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With files from Dan McGarvey