20 big cats die from bird flu at Washington wildlife sanctuary
Bird flu ripped through a Washington state wildlife sanctuary, killing 20 big cats, the center said in a Facebook post, calling the deaths a "significant loss."
Bird flu ripped through a Washington state wildlife sanctuary, killing 20 big cats, the center said in a Facebook post, calling the deaths a "significant loss."
The first cat got sick around Thanksgiving, Mark Mathews, director of the Wild Felid Advocacy Center in Shelton, told NBC affiliate KING of Seattle. By early December, the state had confirmed cases of bird flu in their cats.
In a Facebook post Friday, the sanctuary announced the deaths. They include five African servals, four cougars, four bobcats, two Canada lynx and one each of the following: Bengal cat, Amur/Bengal tiger, African caracal, Geoffroy's cat and Eurasian lynx.
"This tragedy has deeply affected our team, and we are all grieving the loss of these incredible animals," the sanctuary said, asking the community for assistance.
Mathews told KING that at the end of November, he had 37 cats and now he has 17.
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