PUBLISHED ONFebruary 22, 2026 4:02 AMBYHoon Jeng JeeA deadly and contagious virus has killed over 70 tigers at a tourist attraction in northern Thailand within the month, prompting authorities to close the park for two weeks.
According to the Bangkok Post, dozens of tigers at Tiger Kingdom in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai, began dying mysteriously on Feb 8.
By Feb 18, a total of 72 had reportedly died.
Following the deaths, the Chiang Mai Provincial Livestock Office inspected the site and a facility-wide disinfection was conducted. Samples of the tiger carcasses and feed were also sent for detailed analysis at Chiang Mai University, AFP reported.
"When tigers fall ill, it is more difficult to detect than in animals like cats or dogs," said national livestock department director Somchuan Ratanamungklanon to local media.
"By the time we realised they were sick, it was already too late."
According to the Bangkok Post, the virus was initially assumed to originate from the raw chicken meat used as tiger feed, but authorities stressed the exact cause has not been confirmed.
The Thai news outlet added that initial reports from the Chiang Mai Provincial Livestock Office said feline parvovirus was identified in autopsies. The fatal disease causes vomiting and bloody diarrhoea as it attacks intestinal linings and immune systems.
Subsequent laboratory results reported to the Department of Livestock Development found the animals had been infected with canine distemper virus (CDV), The Guardian wrote.
CDV affects the respiratory system and is usually associated with canines, but can be transmitted to big cats.
Veterinarians also reportedly identified mycoplasma bacteria as a secondary infection.
Officials added that all identified infections were not transmissible to people.
According to the Department of Livestock, inbreeding may have weakened the tigers' immunity and increased the chances of infection, the Bangkok Post reported.
246 tigers are kept at the Tiger Kingdom facilities in Mae Rim and Mae Taeng in the northern province.
The remaining tigers have been relocated to a nursing centre in Mae Taeng district for quarantine and care.
Tiger Kingdom, a tourist attraction that allows visitors to "hug, touch and take pictures up close with tigers", is now temporarily closed, according to online checks by AsiaOne.
Animal rights organisation PETA Asia said in a statement on Feb 21: "These tigers died the way they lived — in misery, confinement and fear."
"It's time for the Thai government to shut down these operations once and for all."
In 2024, 47 tigers and three leopards died in south Vietnam between August and October after a bird flu outbreak.
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jengjee.hoon@asiaone.com
