Bird flu has claimed the lives of 20 big cats at an animal sanctuary in Washington state, forcing a temporary closure to the public, the Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington announced in a recent post on Facebook.
Animal health officials confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza among more than half of the wild felids at the facility.
“We are heartbroken to share that animal health officials have confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among over half of our wild felids as of December 2024,” the sanctuary stated on Dec. 20.
The outbreak has claimed the lives of 20 wild cats, including an Amur/Bengal tiger, four cougars, an African caracal, two Canada lynx, a Geoffroy cat, a Bengal cat, a Eurasian lynx, four bobcats, and five African servals. The sanctuary provided a list of the deceased animals which also included their names, in a heartfelt post.
The virus, primarily carried by birds, most often is spread through phlegm or mucus and bird-to-bird contact. Wild animals, especially carnivores, can become sick by ingesting infected birds or their droppings. Cats are especially susceptible to the virus, which can rapidly progress and result in death within 24 hours, due to pneumonia-like conditions, the sanctuary said. […]
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