CHIANG MAI, THAILAND – Seventy-two tigers died within days at a well-known tiger park near Chiang Mai, while authorities continued to search for the exact cause of the mass mortality.
Feed under suspicion as deaths mount
Officials said raw chicken meat from a private farm quickly emerged as the main suspect because all tigers at the facilities in Mae Rim and Mae Taeng districts had been fed the same supply. Initial fears that the meat might contain bird flu subsided after laboratory tests found no corresponding genetic material in the samples.
Mixed pathogen findings, no clear origin
The provincial animal disease control agency reported over the weekend that canine distemper virus and additional Mycoplasma bacteria had been detected in the carcasses, after earlier references to feline parvovirus. At the same time, the agencies in charge of the outbreak investigation conceded they had not yet identified how and from where these pathogens were originally introduced into the collection.
Carcasses burned and buried under supervision
The head of Conservation Area Management Region 16, Kritsayam Kongsatree, said on Monday that the disposal of all tiger carcasses had been completed and initially carried out through incineration. Because too few cremation facilities were available, burials were later conducted, with each grave marked by the individual identification number of the animal involved, and, according to Kritsayam, without removal of skins or teeth.
Veterinarian questions surveillance and response
Veterinarian Wisit Arsaithamkul, who said he had been involved in handling the case, expressed concern on Sunday on Facebook about the local surveillance system and epidemiological management.
“During the first post-mortem examinations within one to two days after the onset of symptoms, no severe organ changes were found, so viral infections as well as toxins or bacterial causes were initially considered.”
said Wisit, veterinarian.
Shared feed links two sites 30 km apart
Wisit asked how tigers at the Mae Rim and Mae Taeng facilities, located around 30 kilometers apart, could fall ill with identical symptoms and identified the feed as the most likely common factor. According to him, almost all of the more than 200 tigers that had received this feed showed signs of illness, with only three still suckling cubs remaining unaffected, while the death toll continued to rise and later fatalities were no longer subjected to autopsy for safety reasons.
Economic stakes and warning over unanswered questions
With regard to the debate over possible consequences for other animal populations, Wisit said the country could not be exposed to the risk of losing livestock worth tens of billions just to protect tigers valued at a few hundred million baht.
“Pushing aside critical questions prevents improvements and may keep the true cause from ever being discovered.”
said Wisit, veterinarian.
Tiger Kingdom site remains closed
The Chiang Mai site operating under the name Tiger Kingdom, run by Khum Sue Trakarn Ltd, which also manages facilities in Phuket and Pattaya and is officially dedicated to breeding and conserving Indochinese tigers, remained closed to visitors. The closure followed what has so far been the largest documented mass death at the park, with 72 tigers lost from a total population of 246 animals.