HANOI, Vietnam – More than a dozen tigers have been cremated after the animals contracted bird flu at a zoo in southern Vietnam, officials said.
State media VNExpress quoted a keeper at Vuon Xoai zoo in Bien Hoa city as saying the animals were fed raw chicken bought from nearby farms. The panther and 20 tigers, including several cubs, weighed between 10 and 120 kilograms (20 to 265 pounds) when they died. The bodies were burned and buried in the grounds.
“The tigers die very quickly. They looked weak, refused to eat and died after two days of illness,” said zoo manager Nguyen Ba Phuc.
Samples taken from the tigers tested positive for H5N1, the virus that causes bird flu.
The virus was first identified in 1959 and has grown to become a widespread and serious threat to migratory birds and domestic poultry. It has since changed, and in recent years H5N1 has been found in a growing number of animals ranging from dogs and cats to sea lions and polar bears.
In cats, scientists have found that the virus attacks the brain, damages and constricts blood vessels and causes seizures and death.
More than 20 other tigers are being isolated for monitoring. The zoo houses about 3,000 other animals including lions, bears, rhinos, hippos and giraffes.
Read more: New Bird Flu Deaths Make Experts Uncomfortable
The 30 workers who were taking care of the tigers were found to be free of bird flu and in normal health, reports VNExpress. Another outbreak occurred at a zoo in Long An province, where 27 tigers and three lions died within a week in September, the newspaper said.
Rare strains of influenza from animals occasionally occur in humans. Health officials in the United States said on Thursday that two dairy workers in California have been infected with the virus – making it 16 cases in the country by 2024.
“The deaths of 47 tigers, three lions and a deer at My Quynh Safari and Vuon Xoai Zoo during a bird flu outbreak in Vietnam is heartbreaking and highlights the dangers of keeping wildlife in captivity,” PETA Vice President Jason Baker said in a statement. submitted to the Associated Press.
“Wildlife exploitation also puts human health at risk around the world by increasing the likelihood of another pandemic,” Baker said.
Bird flu has caused many deaths worldwide, most of which involve direct contact between humans and infected birds.
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