Bats are actually quite a bit less dangerous than a lot of people think they are, thanks to a long history of misconceptions, superstitions, and just flat-out wrong information.
For starters, the grand majority of bats don't suck blood (and the ones that do are native to South America). In fact there's quite a few species of bat that are vegetarians! These ones feed off of fruit and nectar.
Even the ones that are carnivorous tend to mostly eat insects, and they actually do a great job of keeping the populations of insects like mosquitoes to a minimum! Just like spiders, they may be a little scary, but they do a lot of good!
However, one thing about bats that is a legitimate danger to humans is the fact that they can carry rabies, which if threatened, they can transfer to humans through a scratch or a bite. While you shouldn't be scared of bats, you should still keep your distance from wild ones.
So of course, when a bat gets found somewhere like an elementary school, there's instantly some concern about people's safety.
Keep reading to find out about this potentially dangerous situation...
An elementary school in Woodinville, WA (a suburb of Seattle) got a bit of a shocking surprise this week when a bat was discovered living under a bench.
Staff from Bear Creek Elementary School were alerted to the bat's presence on Monday morning, and immediately took the proper procedures to have it removed. Specifically, they kept the kids away from the bat, and called Animal Control to have it removed.
Turns out it was a good thing they did, too. Public Health Seattle & King County confirmed that the bat tested positive for rabies when tested the following day. They are advising that anyone who might have come into contact with the bat to call them at 206-296-4774 for information on preventative treatment.