In a Washington sanctuary, the flu has killed 20 big cats, including a Bengal tiger, four cougars, a lynx, and four bobcats.
The tragic deaths of these precious animals have caused concern at the Wild Felid Advocacy Center and other animal conservationists.
Never Seen Before
The Shelton shelter where the animals died announced on Facebook that the bird flu affected more than half its wild cats.
“We’ve never seen anything like it,” said the center’s director, Mark Mathews.
Bird flu, or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), has been wreaking havoc across the US, infecting poultry, dairy herds, domestic cats, and even humans in some cases.
Experts explain that carnivorous mammals, including cats, can contract the virus by consuming infected birds or contaminated food.
Both wild animals and home pets are considered under threat by the virus which has shown no sign of control in the past years.
