A bat infestation has forced students at Northern Arizona University to move out of their dorm. After consulting with the Coconino County Health and Human Services Department, university officials decided to move students into nearby apartments.
NAU confirmed a bat captured in early September tested positive for rabies at Mountain View Hall, which is primarily occupied by freshmen and sophomores. And more bats have been discovered since then.
Erik Francis, who has a daughter affected by the move out, says the university should have had a better contingency plan.
“They became reactive and created a stressful situation by just telling the kids you're moving out, grab a bag for five and seven days. You're going to be relocated. You're not coming back to this dorm. We're shutting it down for the year and we don't know where you're going to live. We don't know who you're going to live with," he said.
Despite his criticism, Francis said he did appreciate the university being “accommodating and supportive.”
NAU student Noah Holloway was one of the people evacuated.
“This is actually a criticism I have of the university. Information was a bit static. So, and I understand from being a business student, I understand they most likely didn't want to relay a bunch of information out that they didn't have that was concrete," he said.
NAU says the dorm has been cleared to continue mitigation efforts and find a permanent solution.
