Animal Safety

Occasionally wild animals get into buildings by mistake. The Animal Make Safe program safely and humanely responds to certain live animal incidents in UT Austin campus buildings by capture and removal or live trapping. Our staff is trained to respond to these incidents 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Please see Animal Issues - Who to call for more information. If you are looking for information about laboratory animals please see Biological Safety / Humanized Animal Research.

In the spring and fall, bats are commonly seen around Austin and the UT Campus. Sometimes bats find their way to places where they shouldn’t be, such as inside a building. If you come across a bat in a university building, or one outside on campus that needs help, please call Animal Make Safe. Remember, bats are wildlife and should never be touched!

For bat or other wildlife issues on campus that need our attention, please call Animal Make Safe:

  • (512) 471-3511 during business hours (8am-5pm)
  • (512) 471-2671 after hours.
Please note: Animal Make Safe only responds to the University of Texas at Austin main and satellite campuses. For help in other areas of Austin, please see the links below or call 311 if you see distressed or injured wildlife or if you come into contact with any. 311 can also offer tailored and humane solutions to wildlife issues and/or conflicts. If outside Austin or Texas, please call your local animal control office or a local wildlife rehabilitator for guidance.

If you have contact with a wild animal:

Bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes are considered high-rabies risk animals in Texas. A bite, scratch, or contact with any saliva, central nervous system tissue, or brain/spinal fluid (or if you are unsure) from a high-rabies risk animal should be considered a potential rabies exposure until proven otherwise.  If you are bitten or scratched by any animal, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and get medical advice immediately. All animal bites, regardless of the species or the severity should be examined by a physician as soon as possible. Any bat that has contact with a human should be collected and tested for rabies as soon as possible by submitting it to the state rabies lab for testing. EHS can guide you through the steps following a potential rabies exposure and help to collect the bat and submit it for testing. Contact EHS at (512) 471-3511.

During normal working hours staff can contact the Occupational Health Program, students can call University Health Services. Alternately, you can contact your personal physician. For after-hours information for staff, please refer to the Occupational Health Program website.

Links