Camp Curry Sign in Yosemite National Park   Sierra Sun Times file photo

September 3, 2026 - YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — A dead big brown bat found outside the Curry Village Showerhouse on May 18, 2026, has tested positive for rabies. No known human contact with the bat has been reported. However, anyone who may have had direct contact with a bat in the Curry Village area on or around May 18 should contact the California Department of Health (CDPH) and a healthcare provider promptly to determine whether treatment is needed.

Rabies is a fatal viral disease that is preventable with prompt medical care following a potential exposure. People can be exposed to rabies through a bite or scratch of an infected animal. Bat bites and scratches can be very small and may not always be visible or painful. Direct contact with a bat also includes on top of clothing or if a wing brushes the skin or hair. Any direct contact with a bat, alive or dead, should be discussed with a healthcare provider.

The park is working with CDPH and the National Park Service Office of Health and Safety and Wildlife Health Branch regarding this case. The last rabies-positive bat discovered in the park was in July 2025.

Visitors should never touch or handle bats or other wild animals. If you encounter a bat, dead or alive, keep your distance and notify park staff. Yosemite is home to 17 species of bats (Bats - Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service) that provide ecological and economic benefits. As part of routine park operations, deceased bats with no known human contact, are collected and later tested to monitor wildlife disease that circulate naturally within bat populations. A very small percentage of bats tested from Yosemite National Park are positive for rabies each year. For more information on rabies and bat and visitor safety, please visit the California Department of Public Health and Bats and People on the National Park Service websites.

Source: NPS