20 big cats die from bird flu at Washington wildlife sanctuary
NBC2 days
Bird Flu Kills 20 Big Cats at Washington Wildlife Sanctuary
Above: Tiger lies down at Paradise Wildlife Park on Aug. 2, 2017. Image copyright: Unsplash
The Facts
Twenty big cats at the Wild Felid Advocacy Center in Shelton, Washington, reportedly died from bird flu between late November and mid-December 2024, reducing the sanctuary's population from 37 to 17 cats.
The deceased animals included five African servals, four cougars, four bobcats, two Canada lynx, one Bengal-Amur tiger, one African caracal, one Geoffroy's cat, one Bengal cat, and one Eurasian lynx.
The Spin
Narrative A
These deaths are heartbreaking and a significant loss to the country. The devastating outbreak demonstrates the increasing threat of bird flu to various species. As no one knows how the animals were infected and the virus continues to mutate and spread beyond traditional avian hosts, the disease puts both wildlife and domestic animals at unprecedented risk.
Narrative B
While the outbreak is concerning, public health risk remains low as no human-to-human transmission has been reported in the US to date. Since most human cases of bird flu have so far resulted only in mild symptoms, we can be confident that there is no need to panic, as bird flu is still an animal health issue.