A skunk recently shot and killed by a Garland county resident and submitted by Hot Springs Animal Services to the state lab has tested positive for rabies, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. The result brings the 2015 countywide rabies count to a total of four skunks and four bats.
A homeowner west of Hot Springs noticed a skunk wandering around a pond between her house and that of a neighbor. The skunk seemed disoriented, so the homeowner secured her outside dogs and alerted her neighbor, who shot the skunk. It died immediately. Animal Services bagged the skunk and submitted it for testing. No human or animal exposures apparently occurred.
Residents are reminded that nocturnal animals such as skunks and bats are not normally active during the daytime. If daytime activity is observed, call Animal Services immediately at 262-2091. Keeping rabies shots current for all household pets helps prevent them from contracting the disease. For more information on rabies, visit the Arkansas Department of Health website at www.healthyarkansas.gov .