Bat season has really taken flight in Stamford, Animal Care & Control Shelter Director Laurie Hollywood said Thursday. In the last week, she cited seven instances where a bat had to be trapped n a home and sent out for rabies testing.
The furry, winged nightfliers are being found all over. In the last week, Hollywood said bats have been recovered from homes on West Lane, Applebee Road, Glenbrook Road, Verplank Avenue, Toilsome Brook Road and Strawberry Hill Avenue twice.
"That's a lot of bats," Hollywood said.
The animals are consistently being tested as rabies has been known to make an appearance in city limits. Just last week a raccoon tested positive after a licensed veterinarian trapped and put the sick animal down in her own backyard on Briar Brae Road. Hollywood said they're also awaiting results on an unusually-aggressive groundhog that was killed by a hunter who was attacked as he worked near a woodpile.
None of the bats captured thus far have tested positive, but she warned those who might spot a bat flying around in their home that every bat found in living quarters needs to be tested.
Bats can bite without the bite ever being felt by a person, and they can pass on rabies through saliva that drips onto things like countertop surfaces and glassware.
Bat season typically runs for about eight weeks, through August and September.
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