GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A University of Florida student is undergoing a series of painful shots after being bitten by a rabid bat.
Experts say that bats are most likely to bite when people pick them up.
Danny DePaz took pity last week on the trembling mouse-size bat wedged under a classroom door at the university's Weimer Hall, but when he tried to remove the animal, he was bitten on the middle finger of his left hand.
If not for a classmate, DePaz would have never known the bat was rabid and his life was in danger. When the bat bit DePaz, he threw it to the ground and left.
But Erin Tam, a public relations senior, called UF's College of Veterinary Medicine and delivered the bat to them for testing. She tracked down DePaz's name and telephone number.
"At the time I was concerned about the bat; I wasn't even thinking about rabies," Tam said.
