Rabies Scare Erupts in North Carolina After Four Baby Goats From Mobile Petting Zoo Test Positive

A major public health warning has been issued in North Carolina after four baby goats from a mobile petting zoo tested positive for rabies or were presumed to have contracted the deadly virus. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is urging anyone who had direct contact with the animals between July 28 and August 27, 2026, to contact local health officials.

The affected animals belonged to Farm Adventures, a mobile petting zoo based in Harmony, North Carolina. Because the company travels to different locations, the infected goats may have come into contact with visitors across several counties before officials confirmed the rabies infection.

Investigators believe the goats were exposed after a wild skunk entered their enclosed pen in late July. Farm Adventures owner Misty Love explained that the animals were kept separately from the rest of the herd and that the goats were too young to receive rabies vaccinations.

Farm Adventures said the goats showed no immediate signs of rabies after the skunk encounter. In a Facebook statement, the company explained: «WE HAD NO CLUE THE GOATS HAD GOTTEN BUT. They showed no sign or symptoms of rabies.» The owners said they only discovered the infection after the animals became ill.

The situation changed weeks later when one goat died on August 19 and another became seriously sick before being euthanized. Laboratory testing confirmed rabies in three of the goats, while a fourth was considered infected. All four animals were euthanized to prevent further spread.

Farm Adventures publicly addressed the incident and expressed sadness over losing the animals. The company wrote: «The affected animals, our 4 precious baby goats, have been euthanized to prevent further spread.» The farm also thanked customers for their support while saying it was cooperating with health authorities.

Since Farm Adventures is a traveling petting zoo, the possible exposure area extends beyond the original farm location. Officials identified several counties connected to the investigation, including Iredell, Mecklenburg, Watauga, Burke, Davie, Davidson, Catawba, and Durham.

The infected goats appeared at roughly 10 public and private events during the possible exposure period. Officials are reviewing attendance information from locations including the Masonic Picnic in Mocksville and an event at Breeden Amphitheater in Lexington to determine who may have had direct contact.

Health officials say baby goats can present a particular risk because visitors often hold, cuddle, and bottle-feed them. Rabies can spread when infected saliva enters broken skin or reaches the eyes, nose, or mouth. Simply being near the animals without touching them is not considered an exposure.

Authorities are warning people not to wait for symptoms before seeking advice because rabies can remain unnoticed for weeks or months. If an exposure is confirmed, individuals may receive post-exposure prophylaxis, a treatment series that is highly effective when administered before symptoms develop.

No human rabies infections have been reported from this incident, and North Carolina has not recorded a confirmed human rabies case since 2011. Farm Adventures said its remaining animals received booster vaccinations and that the facility remains under quarantine while officials continue monitoring the situation.