Bangkok: At least 72 tigers have died due to a viral outbreak and bacterial infections at privately operated wildlife parks in northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai, livestock officials confirmed on Saturday. The incident has sparked renewed concern over disease control standards in facilities that keep wild animals in captivity.
The fatalities were recorded between February 8 and 18 at Tiger Kingdom parks located in Mae Rim and Mae Taeng districts. Laboratory examinations of tissue samples confirmed the presence of canine distemper virus (CDV) along with Mycoplasma bacteria. Authorities said the combination of these highly contagious infections led to severe complications affecting the animals’ respiratory, digestive and immune systems.
Dr. Peerapol Noinafai from Regional Livestock Office 5 stated that the virus spread quickly. He explained that early symptoms of CDV are difficult to detect in large cats compared to domestic animals, which contributed to delays in diagnosis and treatment. Of the total deaths, 21 tigers died in Mae Rim, while 51 fatalities were reported in Mae Taeng.
Veterinary teams have transferred surviving tigers from Mae Taeng to a designated care centre for monitoring and medical support. Both facilities, known for offering tourists close interaction with tigers, have been shut temporarily. Officials are carrying out deep cleaning, disinfecting enclosures and arranging vaccinations to prevent further spread.
Authorities emphasized that the outbreak poses no risk to humans and urged residents to report unusual animal deaths immediately. Meanwhile, animal rights group PETA Asia criticized the conditions in such parks, calling for an end to wildlife captivity tourism. Officials noted that stress and co-infection likely worsened the outbreak’s impact.
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