If you thought the only news you’d be reading about tigers was centred around Joe Exotic, then think again because COVID-19 is now involved.
A 4-year-old tiger at a New York City zoo has just tested positive for COVID-19, according to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The female, Malayan tiger is the first report of a tiger becoming infected with the disease.
Tigers aside, for more on COVID-19, make sure you check out the latest episode of It’s Been A Big Day For…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said that samples from the tiger were evaluated after symptoms of respiratory illness became apparent. According to the Bronx Zoo, the tiger (named Nadia), along with her sister Azul, two Amur tigers and three African lions had all developed a dry cough and an appetite decrease. The symptoms first appeared since the 27th of March.
The good news is, they are all expected to recover and no other animals in the zoo are experiencing coronavirus symptoms. Health officials reported that the tigers and lions got sick after being exposed to a zoo employee who happened to have COVID-19 but didn’t show symptoms. The Zoo has been closed since mid-March.
A statement from the Bronx zoo, said, “We tested the (tiger) out of an abundance of caution and will ensure any knowledge we gain about COVID-19 will contribute to the world’s continuing understanding of this novel coronavirus.”
Also, according to the USDA, “this is the first case of its kind… further studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by COVID-19… there is no evidence that animals play a role in the transmission of COVID-19 to people… No evidence that any person has been infected with COVID-19 in the U.S. by animals, including by pet dogs or cats.”
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