Visitors to Jewel Cave National Monument in South Dakota were being asked to give bats and other wild animals plenty of space after a live bat found on the Historic Lantern Tour route was confirmed to have rabies.
Here's what to know
Fortunately, park officials say they have received no reports that anyone handled the animal. But anyone who thinks a bat may have made contact with them during a visit should get medical attention immediately and inform the South Dakota Department of Health, as reported by KOTA Radio.
The advisory followed a positive rabies test on a live bat collected at the cave, according to KOTA Radio. Without timely post-exposure treatment, rabies can be deadly.
Officials said they are coordinating with the South Dakota Department of Health and the National Park Service Office of Health and Safety to monitor the situation and maintain public health safeguards.
While visitors can still enjoy the monument, they are advised to keep a safe distance from animals and to report any wildlife behaving unusually to staff.
More background
Popular outdoor destinations are shared spaces for people and wildlife. Interactions like this one don't only occur in remote areas you'd expect to spot a wild animal; they also can be in places packed with people.
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Bats naturally depend on caves and nearby habitats, while humans enter those same spaces for recreation, sightseeing, and guided tours. As reporting on human-wildlife encounters has shown, interactions often become more common when people spend more time in animal habitats or move deeper into them.
That overlap is especially relevant at a place like Jewel Cave. The monument is a protected natural area, but it is also meant to welcome the public, and officials said bats still play an important ecological role, including helping control insect populations, even when an infected animal creates a serious health concern.
Officials have not announced any operational changes in the park.
What can be done?
Do not touch a bat, even if it appears calm, injured, or unable to fly. The same guidance applies to any wild animal acting strangely. If you see one, alert park staff instead of trying to intervene yourself.
Health officials say possible bat exposure should be treated as urgent: anyone who thinks contact may have occurred needs medical care right away, because rabies treatment works best when started soon after exposure rather than after symptoms appear.
Parks ask guests to respect barriers, follow ranger instructions, and avoid treating wildlife encounters as photo opportunities. Keeping your distance helps protect people from disease exposure while also reducing stress and harm to animals.
At Jewel Cave, officials are continuing to coordinate with state and federal health experts while encouraging visitors to stay alert, give bats space, and quickly report any unusual wildlife encounters.
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