Public health officials in Montreal are warning people to be careful about touching wild animals, after a man was bitten by a rabid bat last week.

The man was out walking his dog when he found the bat lying in the grass at Lachine's Summerlea Park.

When he picked it up to have a closer look, the bat bit him.

He contacted health authorities who tested the winged mammal and found it was infected with rabies.

The man is now being treated to fight the potentially fatal infection.

People should exercice caution when they find wild animals, and contact authorities first before touching anything, said Jérome Latreille, a spokesman for the Montreal Public Health Department.

While rabies is relatively rare among bats, two or three cases are reported on the Montreal island every year.