When he sat down to read his iPad last week, an elderly man got a rather unpleasant surprise.
Last Thursday, 86-year-old Roy Syvertson sat down on his device to scroll over the internet, opening the screen protective case. All was fine until he went to close the cover about an hour later.
As he pressed it shut, he felt a little "sting," and he saw a bat emerge from between it and the iPad.
"It felt like a little bee sting, and I looked, and the bat came out of here, between the pad's cover and back," Syvertson told ABC affiliate WMUR. "And then I got up, squeezing it still, which I'm sure he wasn't happy with, and I took him out. He was still there when I got up in the morning, and I thought he was all right. "Syvertson discovered that the bat was dead after closer inspection later that evening, which immediately concerned him. He called Fish and Game's New Hampshire Department, concerned the bat might have rabies, and officials told him to go immediately to the hospital.
Shortly afterwards, he started treatment.
The animal was tested by New Hampshire Fish and Game, and the bat was actually positive for rabies. "It was a good thing that I didn't decide to cuddle him a little," Syvertson joked, adding that he felt good.
How the bat got into the home of Syvertson or how it managed to get under its iPad cover is unclear. He joked that his device had to have the password for the bat.
Of course, Canada is home to 18 bat species, so if this ever happens to you or a loved one, it is beneficial to know some safety tips. The health unit of Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District (HKPR) offers the following tips when it comes to bats: If you suspect you may have been bitten or had contact with a bat, report it immediately to a family doctor and the district health unit of HKPR at 1-866-888-4577, ext. 5006.
If a bat is found in your home bitten or scratched, leave the room, close the door and contact a professional pest control or removal company for wildlife. With your bare hands, do not touch a bat. If no human contact (bite or scratch) existed, open a window and let the bat get out.
Contact a professional pest control company or wildlife removal company if you have bats living on your property and want to remove them.
If you discover an injured, strange or dead bat outdoors, do not touch it.
Ensure that the vaccinations for rabies by animals are up to date.
The home is bat-proof. If you find bats in the home, seek advice from an authority for animal control or conservation of wildlife.
Examine the home carefully for holes that could allow bats to enter your living quarters and then take steps to seal them. Caulk openings, for example, larger than a quarter inch by a half inch; ensure that all outside doors close tightly and use window screens, chimney caps, and attics under door drafts.
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