Tiger tests positive for coronavirus at Bronx Zoo, first known case in the world

BY NATASHA DALY , NATIONAL GEOGRAPHYC

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREW LICHTENSTEIN, CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

PUBLISHED APRIL 5, 2020

A TIGER AT the Bronx Zoo in New York City has tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, and six other big cats are exhibiting symptoms consistent with the illness, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Sunday afternoon.

“It’s the first time, to our knowledge, that a [wild] animal has gotten sick from COVID-19 from a person,” says Paul Calle, chief veterinarian for the Bronx Zoo. The Malayan tiger, named Nadia, likely contracted the coronavirus from an infected—but unknown—asymptomatic zookeeper. “It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Calle says. The zoo has been closed to visitors since March 16.

Several domestic animals had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, including a Pomeranian and a German shepherd in Hong Kong, a domestic cat in Belgium.

Cats, both wild and domestic, are susceptible to feline coronavirus, but until recently, it was unknown whether they could contract SARS-CoV-2. A new Chinese study has found that cats may be able to infect each other, and scientists are rushing to learn what other species may be able to be infected by it.

A world first at the Bronx Zoo

After developing a dry cough in late March, the four-year-old Malayan tiger, Nadia, was tested for the virus on April 2, according to Calle. Nadia’s sister, two Siberian tigers, and three African lions have also had coughs and a loss of appetite, though they have not been tested. The zoo has the seven cats under veterinary care and expects them to recover, Calle says, though the Wildlife Conservation Society, the nonprofit that runs the Bronx Zoo, cautioned in a news release that it’s unknown how the disease might progress in animals.