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FILE: Baby goat
North Carolina health officials are urging people who touched baby goats at a mobile petting zoo to contact their local health department after several goats tested positive for rabies
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) said the infected goats were from Farm Adventures, a mobile petting zoo based in Harmony, North Carolina, that attended off-site events across multiple counties
Anyone who had contact with baby goats from Farm Adventures, either at its Harmony location or at an off-site event between July 28 and Aug. 27, should contact their local health department to determine whether medication is needed to prevent infection
During that period, NCDHHS said Farm Adventures held off-site events involving children and elderly individuals across multiple counties. Organizers of those events are being notified, the agency said, adding that the investigation remains ongoing and additional information about potential exposure locations will be released when available
In a Facebook statement, Farm Adventures said four of its baby goats had contracted rabies and that the animals had been euthanized to prevent further spread
Young goat handlers await a judge’s verdict in a competition on day nine of the Iowa State Fair on August 21, 2026 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Leon Neal/
The petting zoo identified the goats as Molly, Maggie, Cow and Uno
“We are working closely with public health officials, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and animal control to address this issue and ensure the safety of our animals and clients,” Farm Adventures said
According to Farm Adventures, the baby goats were housed in a separate pen away from the other animals at the petting zoo
The four goats were too young to receive their vaccinations when a skunk entered their pen While the skunk was removed, the petting zoo was not aware that the goats had been bitten
“They showed no sign or symptoms of rabies,” Farm Adventures said
Farm Adventures said one of the animals was ultimately sent for a necropsy after its veterinarian investigated what was happening. State health officials said several goats tested positive for rabies at the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health
“These past few days have been incredibly difficult for us,” Farm Adventures said
Rabies is a viral disease that is deadly if people do not receive medical care before symptoms begin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The virus primarily spreads through bites or scratches from an infected animal. Bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes are the animals most frequently found with rabies in the U.S., according to the CDC
The CDC said roughly 100,000 Americans receive rabies vaccinations following a potential exposure each year
Human rabies infections are extremely rare in the U.S., and no human cases have been reported in North Carolina since 2011
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