Forty-seven tigers, three lions, and a panther have died in two zoos in southern Vietnam after contracting the H5N1 bird flu virus, according to state media reports. The fatalities occurred in August and September at My Quynh Safari Park in Long An province and Vuon Xoai Zoo in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh City, as reported by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on Wednesday.
Tests conducted by the National Centre for Animal Health Diagnosis confirmed that the animals died from the H5N1 type A virus. Both zoos declined to comment when contacted by Agence France-Presse.
Despite the deaths of the animals, none of the zoo staff members who had been in close contact with the infected animals exhibited respiratory symptoms, according to VNA.
Education for Nature Vietnam, an organization focused on wildlife conservation, reported that by the end of 2023, there were approximately 385 tigers living in captivity in Vietnam, with about 310 held at 16 privately owned farms and zoos, and the rest in state-owned facilities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted an increase in reports of H5N1 outbreaks among mammals since 2022, with infections in humans ranging from mild to severe, and in some cases fatal. Vietnam reported a human death from the virus in March 2024.
In 2004, a similar bird flu outbreak killed or led to the culling of dozens of tigers at the world’s largest breeding farm in Thailand.