The Bronx Zoo said preventive measures were taken for both caretakers and cats. (Representative)
New York, United States:
A tiger in New York's Bronx Zoo tested COVID-19 positively, the facility said on Sunday. It is believed that he contracted the virus from a caretaker who was asymptomatic at the time.
The four-year-old Malayan tiger, Nadia, developed a dry cough with her sister Azul, two Amur tigers, and three African lions, and is expected to recover completely, the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the city's zoos, said in a statement.
"We have tested the cat with caution and will ensure that any knowledge we gain about COVID-19 will contribute to the global understanding of this novel corona virus," the statement sent to AFP.
"Although the appetite has subsided somewhat, the cats in the Bronx Zoo are otherwise doing well under veterinary care and they are bright, attentive and interactive with their zookeepers," the statement continues.
"It is not known how this disease will develop in big cats because different species can respond differently to new infections, but we will continue to monitor them closely and expect a full recovery."
All four zoos and the aquarium in New York, whose number of virus deaths has exceeded 4,000, have been closed since March 16.
The zoo stressed that "there is no evidence that animals play a role in the transmission of COVID-19 to people other than the original Wuhan market event, and no evidence that a person in the United States has COVID -19 animals were infected, including dogs and cats. "
Chinese disease control officials identified wildlife sold at a Wuhan market as the source of the coronavirus pandemic that infected well over a million people worldwide.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website, there were "no reports of pets or other animals" in the United States who had coronavirus prior to news of Tiger Nadia.
"It is also recommended that people with COVID-19 restrict contact with animals until more information about the virus is known," the department's website said.
At the end of March, a pet cat infected with the novel corona virus was discovered in Belgium after similar cases in Hong Kong in which two dogs tested positive for COVID-19.
It is believed that all of these animals got the virus from the people they live with.
The Bronx Zoo said preventive measures were taken for both caretakers and all cats in the city's zoos.
(Except for the headline, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and published from a syndicated feed.)
