Thai Authorities Probe Tiger Deaths at Chiang Mai Tourist Park

(MENAFN) Authorities in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, are investigating the deaths of dozens of tigers at the popular Tiger Kingdom tourist attraction.

Seventy-two tigers died in less than two weeks across the park’s two facilities, where visitors can interact closely with the big cats.

The local livestock department said tests on the tigers detected the canine distemper virus, though officials have not confirmed how the outbreak began.

At a news conference on Tuesday, authorities stated that the virus is no longer spreading and no additional tigers have died. They also confirmed that no humans were infected.

All deceased tigers have been buried, and recommendations were made to euthanize the animals that were gravely ill. The two facilities together house more than 240 tigers, according to local media reports.

Canine distemper virus is highly contagious and affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. While it is usually found in dogs, it can also infect large cats.

In addition to the virus, the Chiang Mai provincial livestock office said last week that tests on the tiger carcasses also showed the presence of bacteria linked to respiratory disease.

"By the time we realised they were sick, it was already too late," Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, director of the national livestock department, previously told local media, noting that detecting illness in tigers is more difficult than in domestic cats or dogs.

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