Greater Victoria vets warn of increased bat activity
Published 5:00 pm Monday, August 24, 2026
Veterinarians are reminding the public that there is a high level of bat activity on Vancouver Island, which can present a risk of rabies to people and pets.
According to a social media post from the Peninsula Veterinary Hospital in Sidney, a bat crashed into one of their employees while she was walking her dog in Brentwood Bay last week, contacting her skin close to her head and neck. They say she was assessed and started on rabies post-exposure treatments.
They say the ER physician noted a spike in local bat-human exposures this week, which has caused increased demand on the local rabies vaccine supply. They say Island Health relayed that bat pups are very active and unpredictable right now as they are learning to fly and hunt insects, which has led to increased human exposures.
According to MARS Wildfire Rescue, bat species in Canada can be carriers of rabies, but not all bats carry rabies.
In B.C., it’s estimated that about 0.5 per cent of bats will carry rabies, according to the Community Bat Programs of BC.
“It is a rare but serious disease that can be transmitted to other animals, so precautions are important. We can protect ourselves and our pets while still supporting a creature that is so important to our ecosystems,” noted a social media post from MARS.
Peninsula Veterinary Hospital says to ensure that pets, indoor cats included, are up to date with rabies vaccines, to avoid being outside at dawn and dusk when possible right now, to teach children to never pick up or touch bats, even if they seem distressed or “friendly,” to contact the relevent health authority immediately if a deceased bat is found and to ensure windows and screens are secure.
“Rabies is 100 per cent fatal if exposure is not quickly identified and treated. The highest exposure risk includes direct contact of skin or mucous membranes (especially near the head) with a bat, and if the person or animal is not vaccinated. Any contact with a bat and skin is also considered an exposure requiring prompt treatment,” said the Peninsula vet.
MARS says if someone is grazed or bitten by a bat, do not wait for symptoms. They say to act straight away, wash the contact site or wound for 15 minutes, contact a doctor, call 811 in B.C., or go to emergency the same day.