White Sands National Park seeks teen who brought dead bat into visitor center

(KVIA) -- Thursday, the National Park Service said White Sands National Park wants to find a visitor who touched a dead bat and brought it into the visitor center June 18.

NPS said at 10:20 a.m., a teenager came in holding a bat and put it on the visitor center desk. The teen and an adult told staff they found the bat already dead.

They left before park staff could give them health and safety guidance, NPS said.

Any contact with a bat -- dead or alive -- should be treated as a possible rabies exposure since their bites and scratches can be hard to detect, according to NPS. Rabies is nearly always deadly once symptoms start, but medical care can prevent the disease.

Last year, a bat tested positive for rabies at White Sands, NPS said.

NPS said the teen's parent or guardian should find a medical provider or local health department to discuss rabies whether post-exposure treatment is needed.

NPS also asked them to contact White Sands National park at WHSA_Interpretation@nps.gov.

Rabies is usually transmitted through contact with saliva from an infected animal.

When a bat is dead, acting strange, lying on the ground, flying near people or touching people, the exposure risk for rabies increases, according to NPS.

NPS said the best way to protect yourself and animals from rabies exposure is to keep a safe distance and never pick up a wild animal. Instead of touching sick or dead wildlife, find a park ranger.