Wyoming is home to 18 species of bats that sometimes cross paths with humans. Depending on where and how the bat is found determines what you should do: 
 

• First, do not touch or handle bats. Bats can transmit rabies prior to having symptoms, and, like any wild animal, can act aggressively if they feel threatened. Anyone bitten by a bat should seek medical attention and try to safely contain the bat for testing. 

 

• If a bat is inside unused parts of buildings, like the rafters of a shed, barn or attic, installing one-way doors for about a week will let the bats fly out but not back in. They are best-used in the late summer or early fall. Over the summer, females may become separated from their young — called pups — by a one-way door. Since the pups can’t fly and need to nurse several times each night, they will not survive alone.

 

• If a bat gets into a house, open a window — minus the screen — and shut off the room overnight. The bat should fly out on its own.

 

• Bats sometimes are reported on the outside of buildings and during the day. It’s not unusual to see a bat roosting, or even flying, in daylight. An active daytime bat is likely searching for a place to sleep. If a bat is spotted sleeping, leave it alone. Bats flying during the winter could be a sign of white-nose syndrome, a disease in bats. Report sightings to Game and Fish. 

 

• If you find an injured bat, call Game and Fish. People should not attempt to rehabilitate a bat nor keep it as a pet. That is illegal without a permit from Game and Fish. 

 

For more information on how to help bats, including building bat houses or keeping them out of structures, visit the Game and Fish website at https://wgfd.wyo.gov/nongame or Bat Conservation International’s website at batcon.org.