Overview
- Authorities report 72 tiger deaths at Tiger Kingdom facilities holding 246 animals, described by media as the largest documented mass die-off of its kind in Thailand.
- Preliminary tests point to possible feline parvovirus and officials also cite canine distemper virus, with final virological analysis still pending.
- Both parks are closed under a 14-day quarantine as enclosures are disinfected and carcasses are incinerated to contain the outbreak.
- More than 100 people who had close contact with the tigers between February 8 and 19 are being monitored, with no symptoms reported and officials saying the detected infections are not transmissible to humans.
- Veterinarians have suggested contaminated feed, including raw chicken, may have contributed, while experts warn that high animal density and possible inbreeding can accelerate spread and worsen outcomes.