Marcus Rucker was asleep in a bed at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., last April when he was woken up by a rustling sound. It turned out to be a live bat, which he killed with a shoe.
Now, Rucker’s family and two others – who were staying at the Las Vegas strip hotel for a volleyball tournament – are suing the hotel, according to a lawsuit cited by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
These three Arizona families, including four adults and four children, stayed at the hotel from April 7 to April 11. Rucker’s battle with the bat occurred in the early morning hours of April 11. After killing the bat, Rucker placed it in a cup and placed it in a nearby stairwell.
He reported the incident to a hotel employee during the day and the families also reported the event to the Maricopa County Department of Health in Arizona. Officials there told them that they and the bat should be tested for rabies. A manager for the New York-New York Hotel & Casino said that the bat could not be tested because it was thrown out.
Following the incident, Rucker and the others had to receive “painful” injections as a preventative rabies treatment, the suit said. In the suit, the plaintiffs “claim New York-New York resort-casino did not act appropriately when it disposed of the bat without testing it for rabies because it had been in contact with sleeping adults and children.”
According to the Nevada Department of Wildlife, 23 species of bat are native to the state. It also noted that bats are considered a vector for rabies.
“However, it is a relatively rare occurrence in Nevada, with less than 1% of bats actually testing positive for rabies in the state,” said the department. “To limit any potential exposure, you should limit handling any bats dead or alive. If you must handle them, wear leather gloves and make sure to wash your hands thoroughly. To ensure pets safety, please make sure to get all cats and dogs vaccinated for rabies and ensure they are up to date on their booster shots.”
New York-New York Hotel & Casino opened in 1997, according to The New York Times, and it has more than 2,000 total guest rooms and suites.
Since the bat incident, the hotel launched a $63 million project to renovate the rooms.
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