In the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, authorities have launched an investigation following the tragic deaths of dozens of tigers at one of the popular tourist locations, BBC reports.
At two sites of Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai, where tourists can interact with tigers, 72 individuals died in a short period of time. Local veterinary authorities reported that samples collected from the bodies of the deceased tigers tested positive for the dog plague virus, but the causes of the outbreak remain unclear.
At a press conference held on Tuesday, officials stated that the spread of the virus has been halted, and no new cases of tiger deaths have been recorded. It was also noted that there have been no reported cases of infection among the staff.
The remains of all the deceased tigers have been buried, and euthanasia was recommended for the severely ill animals.
According to local media, these tigers were part of more than 240 animals residing in the tiger kingdom.
The dog plague virus, which causes severe damage to the respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems, typically affects dogs but can also be fatal to large cats.
Additionally, last week, the Chiang Mai veterinary department reported that a bacterium associated with respiratory diseases was found in tissue samples from the tigers.
According to local sources, the sick tigers were part of more than 240 individuals living in Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai.
"When we realized that the tigers were sick, it was already too late," noted Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, the director of the national livestock department, adding that identifying diseases in tigers is more challenging than in domestic cats or dogs.
He also reported that specialists collected samples from the environment as well as from the food the tigers were fed.
Earlier, veterinary experts stated that preliminary tests confirmed the presence of feline parvovirus in the tigers. Some local officials also suggested that the outbreak could have been caused by contaminated raw chicken meat used as feed.
Similar incidents involving raw meat have occurred before, such as in 2004 at a tiger zoo in Chonburi province, where an outbreak of avian influenza led to the deaths or euthanasia of about 150 tigers.
Over the weekend, Thai PBS reported that the disease control department stated that veterinarians and staff working with the tigers have not fallen ill but are under observation for 21 days.
Animal rights advocates emphasize that this incident raises questions about the cruel conditions in which tigers are kept in captivity for entertainment purposes in Thailand.
The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand noted that the deaths of the tigers demonstrated "the stark vulnerability of facilities housing wild animals to infectious diseases."
According to representatives of PETA Asia, "if tourists avoided such places, tragedies like this would happen much less frequently."
The city of Chiang Mai, known as the "Kingdom of Tigers," has temporarily closed for two weeks for disinfection.
