Forty-seven tigers, three lions and one leopard have died at a zoo in southern Vietnam due to the H5N1 avian influenza virus, state media reported.
The deaths occurred in August and September at the private My Quinh Safari Park in Long An province and the Buon Xoai Zoo in Dong Nai, near the capital Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam State News Agency (VNA) reported on Wednesday.
The VNA said the animals died “due to H5N1 type A virus,” according to test results from the National Animal Health Diagnostic Center.
The zoo declined to comment when contacted by Agence France-Presse.
The VNA report added that none of the zoo staff who had close contact with the animals experienced respiratory symptoms.
Education for Nature Vietnam, an NGO focused on wildlife conservation, announced that as of the end of 2023, there will be a total of 385 tigers living in captivity in Vietnam.
About 310 animals are kept on 16 private farms and zoos, and the rest are kept in state-run facilities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says there are increasing reports of deadly outbreaks among mammals caused by influenza viruses, including H5N1, starting in 2022.
Additionally, H5N1 infections in humans can range from mild to severe, and in some cases can even lead to death.
Vietnam notified the WHO of human deaths caused by the virus in March.
In 2004, dozens of tigers died or were culled from bird flu at the world’s largest breeding farm in Thailand.
