Miners Sober Up, Get Rabies Shots

Three people are taking rabies vaccinations after a man picked up a rabid bat, dunked it in his beer, nibbled on the creature’s ear, then swilled the brew.

Stanley Connley found the dead bat near a mine in Austin, hung it around his neck, and brought it to the International Hotel in Austin where he began drinking with his friend Richard Parker, also a miner, on Sept. 6.

Sheriff Steve Bishop said Connley took the dead bat, put it in his beer glass, pulled it out and chewed on one of the ears. He than drank the beer.

Bartender Susan Robinson tossed the bat in the garbage. Parker feared that Connley may have put the bat in his beer while his back was turned so he is taking a series of six rabies vaccinations at the Battle Mountain Hospital. And a woman who had contact with one of the men is also taking the rabies shots as a precaution.

The bat was retrieved from the garbage and its carcass was sent to the state for testing. It showed positive for rabies.

Robinson said of the men: “They were both pretty wasted when they came in.”