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Bat Bites Man Watering Plants

Posted on: Monday, 9 June 2003, 06:00 CDT

It looked like a brown leaf, but those rarely bite.

Gary Jackson was on a 16-foot ladder watering plants Saturday at Open Harvest Natural Foods Grocery when he was bitten by a brown bat that was resting in a plant hanging over the store's shelves.

"It looked like a dead plant leaf," Jackson said. "It squealed and bit me."

Jackson drew back his hand, then threw a towel on the bat and trapped it in a cardboard box.

The bat had about an 8-inch wingspan, he said.

Jackson put peroxide on the bite, then rushed to BryanLGH Medical Center West. He received five shots at the hospital and will have another Tuesday. There will be more if the bat tests positive for rabies.

Animal Control took the bat, put it to sleep, and stored it in a cooler.

The bat was to be sent to Kansas State University's College of Veterinary Medicine on Monday for rabies testing. Results should be available Thursday.

"It's a bizarre occurrence," Open Harvest manager Jean Helms said.

The store's staff had seen a bat there about 24 hours before the bite, Helms said. A search of the store then found no sign of the animal.

The store's safety officer will do a search to make sure there are no openings for small animals to get into the building, Helms said. The store also will cover Jackson's medical bills.

The 41-year-old Jackson didn't let the bat get in the way of his golf game. He shot an 85 on Sunday, his best round ever.

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