Forty-seven tigers, along with three lions and a panther, have died in southern Vietnam zoos due to the H5N1 bird flu virus, state media reported on Wednesday.
The deaths occurred between August and September at the private My Quynh safari park in Long An province and the Vuon Xoai zoo in Dong Nai, near Ho Chi Minh City.
According to the Vietnam News Agency, test results from the National Centre for Animal Health Diagnosis confirmed that the animals died from the H5N1 type A virus. No zoo staff members who had close contact with the animals showed any signs of respiratory illness, the report added.
While both zoos declined to comment, the outbreak has raised concerns about wildlife safety in Vietnam. Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), an NGO focused on wildlife conservation, reported that as of the end of 2023, there were 385 tigers in captivity in the country. About 310 of these are housed in privately owned farms and zoos, with the rest kept in state-owned facilities.
The World Health Organization has warned of an increase in deadly outbreaks of bird flu among mammals, including H5N1, since 2022. Human infections from the virus can range from mild to fatal. Vietnam reported a human death from H5N1 earlier in March this year.
This incident echoes a similar tragedy in 2004 when dozens of tigers in Thailand died or were culled due to bird flu.
