Thailand is trying to contain a devastating disease outbreak that has killed at least 72 captive tigers at wildlife parks in the northern province of Chiang Mai, officials said.
The majority of the deaths were recorded at Tiger Kingdom Mae Taeng and Tiger Kingdom Mae Rim, two privately operated animal parks that allow visitors to interact closely with big cats.
Between February 8 and 19, 51 tigers died at Mae Taeng and 21 at Mae Rim, according to a timeline released by the regional Protected Area Office.
Preliminary tests by livestock officials found that the 72 dead tigers were infected with feline parvovirus, also known as feline panleukopenia, reported The Bangkok Post.
Veterinary teams from the Chiang Mai provincial livestock office said autopsies confirmed the presence of the virus, while laboratory tests on samples from the carcasses also detected canine distemper virus (CDV) and Mycoplasma bacteria. No traces of influenza A, which causes bird flu, were found.
Feline parvovirus is a highly contagious and often fatal disease that severely attacks the digestive system and immune response, causing vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, high fever, lethargy and loss of appetite.
Canine distemper is a highly contagious virus that spreads through close contact and attacks the lungs, stomach, and sometimes the brain, and it can be fatal in big cats.
Mycoplasma is a bacterial infection that affects the respiratory system and can make pneumonia and breathing problems significantly worse, particularly in animals with weakened immune systems.
“Treating sick tigers is very different from treating dogs and cats.
Tigers, however, aren’t living closely with humans. By the time we notice that something is wrong, the illness may already be advanced,” said Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, director-general of Thailand’s department of livestock development. In 2024, dozens of captive tigers and other big cats died in Vietnam after contracting H5N1 at privately run zoos and safari parks.
