At least 72 tigers have reportedly died within a few weeks at a private safari park in northern Thailand following infections from a deadly virus and bacteria. National authorities confirmed the news recently.
The Chiang Mai Provincial Livestock Office stated in a release on Friday, “Tests have identified the highly contagious Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) alongside bacteria that affect the respiratory system.”
Animal rights organization PETA Asia told AFP that the lives of these tigers were spent in misery, captivity, and fear. The organization added, “If tourist numbers decline, popular venues can quickly become unprofitable. However, that would make the likelihood of such negative incidents much lower.”
Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, Director of the National Livestock Department, told local media, “Detecting diseases in tigers is much more difficult compared to domestic pets like cats or dogs. By the time we realized they were ill, it was already too late.”
He further confirmed that the deaths occurred at the Tiger Kingdom safari park in Chiang Mai province. The park’s website explicitly advertises opportunities for visitors to touch and take photos with the tigers.
Source: Al Arabiya
