Authorities in northern Thailand reported that 72 tigers have died in recent weeks at a wildlife park due to a viral and bacterial infection. The tests detected the presence of the highly contagious canine distemper virus, as well as bacteria that affect the respiratory system.the Chiang Mai Provincial Livestock Department said in a statement.
“When tigers get sick, it is more difficult to detect the disease than in animals like cats or dogs. By the time we realized they were sick, it was already too late.”the director of Thailand’s Livestock Department, Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, told local media.
The cats belonged to the privately owned Tiger Kingdom wildlife park. Tourists can “hug, touch and take up-close photos with the tigers” on site, according to the park’s website..
“These tigers died as they lived: in suffering, captivity and fear,” animal rights organization PETA Asia told France-Presse news agency. And he left criticism for tourists. “If tourists avoided these places, they would quickly become unviable and tragedies like this would be much less likely to occur”the organization added.
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