The Arkansas Department of Health confirmed Thursday that a dead bat found on a high school campus was infected with rabies, according to a news release.
One Bryant High School student might have come in contact with the bat, but his parent said he did not directly touch it, a release from the school district said.
The high school has been experiencing issues with bats in Building 10 of its campus and had originally planned to remove them during the summer, according to the release.
Because of the presence of the rabid bat, the Bryant School District said it would soon begin putting up a 70-foot scaffold to reach the bats instead of waiting several months.
The district said it is working with a wildlife removal company and that certain guidelines will be followed due to the bats’ status as a protected species.
“The bats will be removed through exclusion, where the bats fly out rather than trapping them in the building,” the release said. “All entry points will then be sealed to prevent future problems.”
According to the release, the removal process will take around 10 days. During that time, students will take alternate routes around the affected area.