72 tigers die in 10 days due to feline virus at popular Thailand wildlife attraction

Over a span of 10 days, 72 tigers died at two facilities run by Chiang Mai's Tiger Kingdom, a popular tourist attraction.

While the exact cause of death is still unclear, preliminary tests show that the tigers were infected with a highly contagious and deadly virus.

It began on Feb. 8, when 31 tigers fell ill, and both facilities reported deaths over the next few days, until the number grew to 72 by Feb. 18, Thai media The Nation reported.

Before the tragedy, a total of 246 used to be kept at the two sites, located in the Mae Rim and Mae Taeng districts, according to Bangkok Post.

21 have died at the Mae Rim site, and 51 at the Mae Taeng site.

The Mae Rim site will be closed for two weeks as livestock officials rush to quarantine and disinfect the place.

The surviving tigers were moved to Tiger Kingdom's care centre in Mae Taeng.

Virus infection

Autopsies on the dead tigers revealed that they were infected with feline parvovirus, complicated by mycoplasma bacteria, reported Bangkok Post.

Feline parvovirus is a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease that attacks the digestive system and immune system.

The Chiang Mai Provincial Livestock Office also found that the tigers had canine distemper virus, which affects the respiratory system.

All infections found are not transmissible to humans, the officials said.

The director of the department said that it is more difficult to detect early symptoms of illness in tigers compared to some other animals such as cats and dogs.

"By the time we realised they were sick, it was already too late," he added, as quoted by Bangkok Post.

Tiger welfare

A privately run animal park, Tiger Kingdom also has sites in Phuket and Pattaya.

It offers visitors the opportunity to "hug, touch, and take photos with tigers under professional care".

The ethics of having such close human-animal interactions with these large predators have come into question among tourists and activists alike.

On its website, Tiger Kingdom emphasises that the welfare of their tigers is a top priority.

"Our animals are never chained, sedated, declawed or defanged," they wrote.

Top images from Crystal Spawn and James Kwok/Google Maps