Health department officials are looking for anyone who may have encountered two wild animals that recently tested positive for rabies in separate incidents.
A fox was collected Wednesday from the Loma Verde South Wash in Saguaro National Park East, after guests told park officials that it was acting aggressively, said Aaron Pacheco, a Pima County Health Department spokesman.
The fox was found in the wash east of the Loma Verde parking lot near Cactus Forest Loop and removed from the park, he said.
In the second incident, a bat discovered Oct. 13, outside Office Max, 9580 E. 22nd St., also tested positive for rabies, Pacheco said. The bat was located and removed at about 10:30 a.m.
Anyone who visited either location, but didn’t make physical contact with the animals or their saliva are not at risk.
There’s a chance that people might have made contact with the animals before they were removed, and anyone who encountered the animals before removal should contact the health department at 724-7797 as soon as possible, Pacheco said.
“In both cases members of the public avoided these animals to the best of their abilities and notified staff who contacted the proper authorities. These actions prevented what could have been much more dangerous incidents,” said Dr. Carlos Perez-Velez, the health department’s Deputy Chief Medical Director.
Rabies is transmitted to humans and pets through direct physical contact with an infected animal, like a bite or scratch. It might take weeks to years for a person to show symptoms, and once they develop, the person usually doesn’t survive, Pacheco said.
Health department officials shared the following steps to help adults, kids and pets safe from rabies.
- Don’t approach wild animals. Under normal circumstances, wild animals are not friendly with people, so it’s important to stay away from a wild animal that seems unafraid.
- Protect your pets by making sure they are current on their rabies vaccination.
- Talk to kids about avoiding unknown and wild animals, and have them tell an adult right away if they encounter either.
- If you see a bat or any other wild animal acting oddly or on the ground, it’s important not to touch it, but rather call the Pima Animal Care Center at
- 724-5900.
- If you have contact with any unknown animal, especially a wild animal, call the health department help line at 724-7797
