300 bats caught by janitors at Salt Lake City high school

SALT LAKE CITY — A bat infestation prompted a Salt Lake City high school to cancel its after-school programs so school workers could root out the flying mammals.

Janitors at the city’s West High School rounded up more than 300 bats from Monday through Wednesday, prompting the school to close its doors Wednesday afternoon.

Some flying bats were caught in midflight by janitors using butterfly nets. Others were found sleeping in classroom corners.

Salt Lake City School District spokesman Jason Olsen says the high school lies in a migratory bat path. But the number of bats this year was above average.

Students who may have come into contact with the bats were encouraged to speak with Salt Lake County Health Department personnel who were at the school on Wednesday.

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The captured bats were relocated.

The Associated Press