FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Some Northern Arizona University students are being moved out of their dorms because of a bat infestation.
According to an NAU spokesperson, a bat was captured in Mountain ViewHall in early September and later tested positive for rabies. NAU claims they “initiated mitigation protocols” throughout the building but in recent days they’ve found more bats.
“Based on further consultation with CCHHS, we have determined that to best provide for the health, wellbeing, and academic success of our students all residents will be relocated from Mountain View to other nearby apartments. This supports our students and will allow for comprehensive and permanent bat mitigation efforts to take place in the building,” wrote a spokesperson in an email to ABC15.
However, parents feel NAU has lacked urgency when responding to the bats.
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"The fact that it had to take a bat getting into a dorm room, getting captured, getting tested, for them to take more active responsive measures. That is the issue we have,” said the father to a freshman in Mountain View, Erik Francis.
"They have known about this for a while, I don't understand why this dorm wasn't inspected before they even moved in there. Bats don't just come overnight,” said his wife Susan Francis.
The couple claims they have seen the bats around their daughter’s dorm since moving her in, but they have mostly stayed outside of the dorm until recently.
While at first, the Francises described the bats as “amusing” or “something out of National Geographic,” they say photos have been going around showing the bats in the dorm lobby and a student's bed.
The parents say they don’t want their daughter living in an apartment off campus right after she has adjusted to her current living situation and worry about the security of another living situation.
"We could tell she was afraid. Saying, they were knocking on doors, putting notices on doors saying, 'pack for 5-7 days you are leaving for the rest of the school year,” said Susan Francis.
They also claim it took until Friday to hear directly from the university rather than learn what is happening only through their daughter.
NAU says they have been working closely with Coconino County Health and Human Services since the first bat was discovered.
