A highly contagious virus is believed to have caused the deaths of 72 captive tigers in northern Thailand this month, with officials racing to contain the outbreak.

Teams are urgently disinfecting enclosures and preparing to vaccinate surviving animals.

The exact cause of death was unclear. A statement by the government’s region 5 livestock office for Chiang Mai said the animals had been infected with canine distemper virus, with veterinarians also identifying mycoplasma bacteria as a secondary infection.

Earlier, however, Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, director general of the department of livestock development within the Thai agricultural ministry, told the Thai outlet Matichon that the tigers had been infected with feline panleukopenia.

“Treating sick tigers is very different from treating dogs and cats. Dogs and cats live closely with us, so when they show symptoms, we can respond and provide treatment right away. Tigers, however, aren’t living closely with humans. By the time we notice that something is wrong, the illness may already be advanced,” he said.

The outbreak has affected two districts of Chiang Mai: the mountainous regions of Mae Rim and Mae Taeng. Dozens of tigers first began to show signs of illness on 8 February, media reported.

Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai has been temporarily closed since the deaths. The zoo, which allows visitors to “hug, touch, and take photos up close with tigers”, is a popular tourist attraction.

Kritsayarm Kongsatri, director of the wildlife conservation office in Chiang Mai, told Thai media the number of deaths recorded was “very unusual”.

In other instances of tiger deaths, 47 died along with three leopards between August and October 2024 in south Vietnam after catching bird flu.

In October 2004, an outbreak of bird flu spread in Sriracha tiger zoo in Chonburi province in eastern Thailand. A total of 147 of the zoo’s 441 tigers died or were euthanised to prevent possible spread to other animals. Fresh chicken carcasses fed to the animals were pointed to as the most likely source of infection.

Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai could not immediately be reached for comment.