23 Tigers and a clouded leopard might have fallen victims of the bird flu virus. They fear that the virus could mutate with a human flu virus and
cause a worldwide disaster.
From Bird flu may have killed Thai tigers
The bird flu epidemic that has killed 31 people in southeast Asia this year may also have killed 23 tigers at a zoo in eastern Thailand, a cabinet
minister says.
"I've received a report this morning that 23 tigers have died and some others have been sick," Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisang told
reporters on Tuesday.
"Their preliminary symptoms showed they might have caught bird flu," said Chaturon, who is in charge of the Thai battle against bird flu.
A clouded leopard died in similar fashion at a Thai zoo earlier this year and scientific studies have shown since that cats can be infected with avian
flu, which means pets could spread the disease.
The underlying fear of the bird flu epidemic, which swept through much of Asia early this year, is that the H5N1
avian flu virus could get into an
animal that can also host a human flu virus, most likely a pig.
Click on the tiger (below) for the full article...
Update:
147 tigers killed in Thailand to contain bird flu
See last post.
[edit on 2004/11/4 by Hellmutt]
