Twice last week, bats that had been flying inside homes in New Canaan were released by residents before officials could capture, euthanize and test the mammals for rabies—meaning those individuals now must consult their physicians about whether to undergo a series of rabies shots.
The Wednesday incidents—one on Oenoke Ridge Road and the other on Old Norwalk Road—are the latest in a flurry of bat-related calls fielded by the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control unit during what is the mammals’ high season.
“This time of year, from the end of June and to September, the female bats are giving birth to babies and they kick the males out of the nest,” Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt said. “So they [the males] will go into the first open door or chimney they see. If a bat goes into a house, because rabies can be transmitted from saliva, even if it falls onto a piece of furniture, it is considered contact.”
Other recent bat calls include 3:27 p.m. on July 22 on Thayer Pond Road and 9:30 a.m. on July 27 on Valley Road, according to police reports.