Costly bill hangs over Kansas City man’s head after eerie encounter with bat

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - As bats awaken from hibernation, one local man had a close encounter that was more than creepy — it was costly.

Moving day cannot come soon enough for Simon Manzo and his roommate Finnigan Bagby. The two are packing up their South Kansas City apartment after Manzo woke up to a bat crawling on his bare chest.

“I’m freaking out because I usually sleep shirtless, so the thing had actual physical contact with me,” Manzo said. “I was not mentally prepared for this in the slightest.”

Manzo cornered the animal, managed to secure it inside a container and released it back outside.

“It’s very likely it could’ve slipped through one of the vents and gotten into Simon’s room or could’ve gotten under the door,” Bagby said.

An inspection from Kansas City’s Healthy Homes program found potential entry points, including a fireplace in the unit and exterior holes in the building’s basement. A city spokesperson noted this was the first-of-its-kind complaint at the complex, which is why KCTV5 is not naming it.

While Manzo did not see any bite marks on his body, he went to the hospital worried about the potential for rabies — a deadly virus spread through animal bites.

“The doctor told me you either get the vaccines or risk the 20/80 chance and possibly die in two months,” Manzo recalled.

He refused to risk it and took the vaccines. But it later cost the uninsured California native $14,000.

“I almost dropped my phone because I’ve never seen a number that big,” Manzo said.

“$14,000. Girl, that’s crazy,” Bagby replied.

Shelly Colatskie, a bat ecologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, identified the flying mammal in Manzo’s room as a big brown bat.

“They’re harmless to humans,” Colatskie said. “Now, there’s always going to be those accidental encounters.”

The big brown bat is one of 16 species across the Show Me State, according to Colatskie. It’s also one of the most common in the Kansas City region, along with the evening and eastern red bats.

“They’re coming out of hibernation right now and could be moving from their winter site to their summer site,” Colatskie explained. “And so, they can find the tiniest cracks and crevices to get through.”

Colatskie said less than half of one percent of bats carry rabies. However, she said Manzo did the right thing given he had direct contact with the animal.

“If you have any kind of encounter like that, it’s always best to be safe and go to the doctor,” she added.

Looking back, Manzo wishes he’d also called animal services, which could have tested the bat for rabies, potentially saving him thousands of dollars.

A spokesperson for the complex told KCTV5 they found “nothing in regard to a bat – and immediately corrected separate issues” listed in the Healthy Homes inspection.

What should you do if you encounter a bat inside your home. KC Pet Project offers the following tips:

• Call animal services
• Do not touch or hit the bat. If it is flying, wait until it lands somewhere. Open windows or doors to help it go back outside.
• Always wear thick gloves when trying to move a bat.
• Put any children and/or animals in a separate room. Close off other entrances to the house so the bat cannot leave the room.
• If the bat is grounded, secure the bat by placing a box or container over the bat.
• If the bat is hanging; place a box/container over the bat and use a piece of cardboard to trap the bat in the box or container. Turn the box or container right side up and secure the cardboard as a lid. Make sure there are small air holes in the lid/box.

To learn more about bats in Missouri, click here. To learn more about bats in Kansas, click here.

For more KCTV5 Special Reports, click here.

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