Dozens — possibly hundreds — of travelers may have been exposed to rabies after staying at Jackson Lake Lodge in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.

Now, it’s time for park officials to make sure this never happens again.

Between May 5 and July 27, a bat colony was discovered nesting above guest rooms in the attic of the iconic lodge. For nearly three months, guests — including families from 38 states and 7 countries — unknowingly slept beneath animals known to carry rabies, a disease that is almost always fatal if left untreated.

This incident was not an act of nature. It was a preventable failure of inspection, oversight, and communication.

We are calling on the leadership of Grand Teton National Park and the Grand Teton Lodge Company to immediately:

• Conduct mandatory wildlife and rabies-risk inspections at all overnight lodges and visitor buildings in the park
• Publicly disclose when wildlife with public health risks are found inside park structures
• Establish a rapid-response plan for any future incidents involving bats or other high-risk species near lodging areas
   

Jackson Lake Lodge is not just a hotel — it’s a National Historic Landmark and one of the most visited accommodations in the entire U.S. park system. The public has a right to expect that it’s safe, and that risks are clearly communicated.

Rabies is preventable — but only if exposure is identified and treated quickly. The longer Grand Teton delays action, the greater the risk becomes for future visitors.