A bat captured last week at St. Mark’s Church has tested negative for rabies, police confirmed Wednesday.
On Jan. 19, the New Canaan Police Department’s animal control unit responded to a call shortly after noon from the Oenoke Ridge church that a bat was found flying around in a room full of people.
Under federal protocol, that triggers a need to euthanize and test the nocturnal insectivore for rabies because the disease can spread through contact with saliva, said Office Mary Ann Kleinschmitt, head of animal control in town.
“In this case the bat was alive and found in a garbage,” Kleinschmitt told Patch.
New Canaan typically gets little and big brown bats (pictured) in August and September “because that’s when they are giving birth and the male gets kicked out of the nest, so the first open door or window is where he goes,” she said.
In fact, on Oct. 9, the town captured a bat at from a Weed Street home that did test positive for rabies, Kleinschmitt said.
“It was flying around in the bedroom,” she said.
