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As coronavirus cases continue to increase exponentially across the country and particularly in hard-hit New York, a tiger at the Bronx Zoo is the latest to test positive for COVID-19.
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The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo released a statement announcing the news that a Malayan tiger named Nadia tested positive for COVID-19. The zoo says that Nadia, who is 4, had “developed a dry cough” along with her sister Azul, as well as two Amur tigers and three African lions. While Nadia tested positive for the coronavirus, the other six only showed symptoms. According to the zoo, “all are expected to recover.” The four tigers live in the Tiger Mountain exhibit region at the popular zoo.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed Nadia’s positive test result.
“Our cats were infected by a person caring for them who was asymptomatically infected with the virus or before that person developed symptoms,” the zoo released in a statement on Sunday. “Appropriate preventive measures are now in place for all staff who are caring for them, and the other cats in our four WCS zoos, to prevent further exposure of any other of our zoo cats.”
“We tested the cat out of an abundance of caution and will ensure any knowledge we gain about COVID-19 will contribute to the world’s continuing understanding of this novel coronavirus,” the statement continued. “Though they have experienced some decrease in appetite, the cats at the Bronx Zoo are otherwise doing well under veterinary care and are bright, alert, and interactive with their keepers. It is not known how this disease will develop in big cats since different species can react differently to novel infections, but we will continue to monitor them closely and anticipate full recoveries.”
Officials from the zoo also took to Twitter to break down the difference between testing for humans and testing for animals.
From Dr. Paul Calle, Bronx Zoo chief veterinarian; “The COVID-19 testing that was performed on our Malayan tiger Nadia was performed in a veterinary school laboratory and is not the same test as is used for people.
— Bronx Zoo (@BronxZoo) April 6, 2020
You cannot send human samples to the veterinary laboratory, and you cannot send animal tests to the human laboratories, so there is no competition for testing between these very different situations.”
— Bronx Zoo (@BronxZoo) April 6, 2020
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Although Nadia was likely infected by her caretaker, there is “no evidence that any person has been infected with COVID-19 in the U.S. by animals, including by pet dogs or cats,” the zoo statement adds.
Since March 16, the Wildlife Conservation Society has temporarily shut down its four zoos and aquarium because of the growing pandemic.