In a tragic incident at a Washington animal sanctuary, twenty big cats, including a Bengal tiger and four cougars, have succumbed to bird flu in recent weeks.
The Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington expressed the profound impact of this loss, stating, “This tragedy has deeply affected our team, and we are all grieving the loss of these incredible animals.”
Bird flu, a devastating viral infection typically spread by wild birds, transmits primarily through respiratory secretions and direct contact between birds. It can also infect mammals that consume infected birds or other contaminated products.
To mitigate further spread, the sanctuary has been placed under quarantine and is currently closed to the public.
The affected animals died between late November and mid-December, according to the sanctuary’s director, Mark Mathews, who noted, “We’ve never had anything like it; they usually die basically of old age. Not something like this; it’s a pretty wicked virus.”
This incident highlights ongoing concerns as bird flu spreads among cattle and poultry across the United States, and has recently infected at least one human. The sanctuary reported the loss of five African serval cats, four bobcats, two Canada lynx, and a Bengal tiger, leaving only 17 cats remaining at the facility.
According to the sanctuary, “Cats are particularly vulnerable to this virus, which can cause subtle initial symptoms but progress rapidly, often resulting in death within 24 hours due to pneumonia-like conditions.”
While bird flu has long been a concern for poultry farms in the US, this year marks the first time the virus has also been detected in cattle. Since April 2024, 61 human cases of bird flu have been documented in the country, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reassures that the risk to the general public remains low, with no sustained human-to-human transmission reported.
Most human cases have exhibited mild symptoms, although one individual required hospitalization for a severe case of bird flu in Louisiana recently. In response to the outbreak among dairy cows, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency last week to ensure the government has the necessary resources and flexibility to react swiftly to the situation.
