Rabies is nearly always fatal without treatment

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Source: San Diego County News Service

May 10, 2025 (Escondido) -- County public health officials are looking for people who may have come in contact with a wild bat found at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondidio on Wednesday, May 7 at 10:45 a.m. that later tested positive for rabies.    

The bat was found at the base of the public elevator in the African Loop near the hot air ballon ride. There is only one public elevator in the park.

East County News Service

October 23, 2015 (San Pasqual)--A bat found at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in San Pasqual on October 9th has tested positive for rabies, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency reports. The bat was found by a visitor near the Mobassa Pavillion and was removed by park security without touching it. 

County health officials want to know  if anyone who was in the park on Oct. 10 directly handled the rabid bat. Rabies transmission can occur from a bat bite or if a bat’s saliva comes in contact with a cut or abrasion, or with mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth. Rabies is virtually always fatal unless post-exposure vaccines and treatment are promptly administered.