Nottingham Field’s west building was closed for over a month this summer due to a rabies incident.
On July 11, a University of Northern Colorado employee discovered a bat inside the athletic building, located beside the west bleachers of UNC’s football stadium. The bat was found near the center of the building near where the High Plains Room, press box and coach areas reside. The university notified the health department of the situation, who then tested and confirmed that the bat had rabies. The campus community was notified in an email afterwards.
UNC Facilities Management completed cleanup of the building’s interior and the building reopened on Monday.
During the closure, the adjacent track and field remained open for student athletes. The closure did not interrupt any pre-planned events as none had been scheduled before the incident.
The Nottingham Field building has limited access, with a small number of campus community members able to enter the building. The building is locked daily and requires a university-issued access key.
The Weld County Department of Health warns to not feed, touch, or handle wild animals and be cautious of stray dogs and cats.
“This looks like a year for high rabies exposure in animals,” said Mark E. Wallace, executive director of the Weld County Health Department. “It is very important that people not touch or go near wild animals.”
According to the Weld County Health Department’s 2018 Positive Rabies Map, 20 animals have been tested positive for rabies this year.
