A Malayan tiger at NYC's Bronx Zoo has tested positive for the coronavirus, and six other big cats at the zoo are showing symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
National Geographic reports: “After developing a dry cough in late March, the four-year-old Malayan tiger, Nadia, was tested for the virus on April 2, according to Calle. Nadia's sister, two Siberian tigers, and three African lions have also had coughs and a loss of appetite, though they have not been tested.”
Said Paul Calle, chief veterinarian for the Bronx Zoo, who believes the tiger, named Nadia, contracted it from an asymptomatic infected zookeeper: “It's the first time, to our knowledge, that a [wild] animal has gotten sick from COVID-19 from a person. It's the only thing that makes sense.”
Added National Geographic: “Several domestic animals had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, including a Pomeranian and a German shepherd in Hong Kong, a domestic cat in Belgium.”
