Rabid Bat Found Near Popular California Trail Prompts Urgent Warning to Hikers and Their Pets

Rabid Bat Found Near Popular California Trail Prompts Urgent Warning to Hikers and Their Pets

Officials warn that bat bites can go unnoticed and urge prompt reporting of any possible exposure

Moná Thomas

Mon, January 26, 2026 at 7:01 PM UTC

2 min read

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An angry bat looking for someone or something to bite. Nice close-up of fangs. Getty — An angry bat looking for someone or something to bite. Nice close-up of fangs.
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NEED TO KNOW

A bat that tested positive for rabies was found near Mesa Trail at O’Neill Regional Park in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
Health officials urge anyone with possible contact to seek medical guidance immediately
Officials remind residents that bat bites can go unnoticed, and rabies is nearly always fatal without immediate treatment

A bat found along a popular hiking trail in Orange County, Calif., has tested positive for rabies, prompting public health officials to urge caution and ask anyone, hikers and pets, who may have had contact with the animal to come forward.

According to a press release from the Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) published on Friday, Jan. 23, and obtained by PEOPLE, the rabid bat was discovered on Jan. 20, near the gate entrance along the Mesa Trail at O’Neill Regional Park in the City of Rancho Santa Margarita. The bat was found around 10 a.m. off El Camino Montana Road, between El Lazo and Juniper Lane.

Group of Bats haning in a barn roof. Getty — Group of Bats haning in a barn roof.
Getty

Health officials have requested that anyone who may have touched the bat — or witnessed someone else in contact with the animal — should immediately notify the HCA Communicable Disease Control Division to assess their risk of exposure. Pet owners whose animals may have come into contact with the bat are urged to contact their veterinarian.

As explained in the release, rabies is a viral disease spread through the saliva of infected animals, most commonly through bites. While human rabies cases are rare in the U.S., HCA notes that the most recent cases have been linked to bat strains of the virus. Because bats have tiny teeth, bites may go unnoticed.

Millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats, Tadarida brasiliensis, streaming out of breeding cave at dusk, Texas, USA. Getty — Millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats, Tadarida brasiliensis, streaming out of breeding cave at dusk, Texas, USA.
Getty

"Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal," per the release, adding that preventative treatment should be administered immediately after exposure. "This treatment is safe and effective.

PEOPLE reached out to the Health Care Agency for comment.

The Health Care Agency released another report in October stating that a bat tested positive for rabies. The infected animal was found near S. Main Street in Orange, Calif.

Per the HCA and OC Animal Care, residents are reminded to avoid all contact with wild animals, keep cats and dogs up to date on rabies vaccinations, and never handle bats, including those that appear sick, injured, or dead.

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If a bat is found inside a home, officials advise residents to close off the room, keep people and pets away, and contact animal control rather than attempting to remove the animal themselves. Sick or grounded bats found outdoors should also be reported so they can be safely collected and tested.

Read the original article on People

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