A real massacre. Twenty big cats died at the end of December at the Wild Felid Advocacy Center, an animal shelter specializing in felines and located in Washington state, in the northwest of the United States. All had contracted bird flu a few days earlier, the Washington Post on December 27.
The shelter, which had 37 animals, lost the majority of its protected animals and had to close and go into quarantine. Employees and volunteers continue to work there wearing special equipment to prevent the spread of the virus, specifies BFMTV.
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Bird flu cases rise in the United States
Many species have been affected: serval, lynx, puma, Bengal… According to the director of the shelter, the epidemic which began at the end of November mainly affected young felines and individuals who had already had health problems. Three animals have since recovered and a fourth, an African serval, remains in critical condition.
Since 2022, the H5N1 virus has gradually spread from birds to other animals and also to humans in the United States, recalls BFMTV. The authorities have noted in particular an increase in cases among wild animals. Earlier this year, another big cat sanctuary lost several animals to bird flu.
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