[lumberjim]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Uh, you know he probably has rabies, right? Putting him down humanely is the best thing they can do for him.

sorry, clobble...you're usually on the mark, but that is just reactionary bullshit, just like everything else you hear on tv. might as well go stock up on milk, eggs and bread before that big snowstorm......

.5% chance of getting rabies from a bat

Scientific surveys of wild bats typically report a positive rate of less than 0.5% for most North American bat species. Even where a rabid bat had been found, examinations of the entire colony show no other rabid individuals. In addition, bats are not “carriers” of rabies; when a bat gets the disease it will die. Bats also tend to become paralyzed with the disease, often avoiding the aggressive form of rabies.


......Bats will usually exhibit the paralytic form of rabies, which immobilizes the animal. Although they are not usually aggressive, bats will bite if they are threatened. Also, outbreaks of rabies in bats have never been reported, unlike the skunk, raccoon, and fox. Chances of coming in contact with a rabid bat is very rare. In fact, chances are better to die from getting struck by lightning, a plane crash, falling down a flight of stairs, or being killed by your spouse. Actually, you have a higher chance of winning your state lottery that being bitten by a bat with rabies. Even though coming in contact with a rabid animal may be uncommon, it is wise to know what to do if you are in that situation.

better have BigRed taken too, just to be safe