72 tigers die at Chiang Mai Tiger Kingdom parks; labs find canine distemper

Protected Area Regional Office 16 reported that 72 tigers died between Feb. 8 and Feb. 19 at two Tiger Kingdom facilities in Chiang Mai province, with 51 fatalities at Tiger Kingdom Mae Taeng and 21 at Tiger Kingdom Mae Rim. Veterinary teams collected samples from carcasses and feed and sent them to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Chiang Mai University for analysis.

The university reported that samples tested positive for canine distemper virus, and Mycoplasma spp. bacteria were detected in some specimens; initial tests showed no genetic material from influenza A. "Authorities said samples showed the canine distemper virus, but have not confirmed where it came from," officials said, underscoring that investigators have not yet identified the vector or source that allowed the pathogen to reach two separate facilities.

The Department of Livestock Development has taken the lead on expedited post-mortem examinations and containment measures. Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, Director-General of the Department of Livestock Development, "has ordered the animal enclosures to be thoroughly cleaned and the remaining live tigers to be quarantined until they are vaccinated to reduce the risk of spreading the virus further." Remaining animals were relocated to a nursing centre in Mae Taeng district for quarantine and care, and Mae Rim Tiger Kingdom announced a temporary 14-day closure to the public.

Streamline reported that carcasses were cremated immediately, a step framed in that account as a response to biological hazard concerns. The operator of the Chiang Mai Tiger Kingdom attractions is identified as Khum Sue Trakarn Ltd; a pre-incident census figure reported in media accounts cited a total of 246 tigers at the Chiang Mai Tiger Kingdom sites before the fatalities, a figure attributed to The Nation.

Canine distemper virus primarily affects canids but has been documented in large wild cats; when combined with bacterial co-infections such as Mycoplasma, authorities say it can precipitate severe pneumonia and rapid clinical decline. Officials also emphasized that CDV is not zoonotic and poses no direct threat to human visitors, according to reporting from veterinary authorities and provincial livestock officials.

Investigators are focused on how a highly contagious pathogen reached two facilities that operate in separate districts. "Investigators are currently scrambling to establish the precise vector of the outbreak," one account noted, highlighting the unresolved question of whether contamination stemmed from staff, trade in animals, movements between facilities, wild-animal contacts, contaminated feed, or other routes. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has also received laboratory results and is involved in the probe.

The human and economic impacts are immediate: closures and quarantines will disrupt tourism and local employment tied to the parks, while legal and regulatory scrutiny of captive-wildlife operations is likely to intensify. Authorities say post-mortem work is being expedited and that full pathology reports and strain-typing from Chiang Mai University will be critical to determining next steps, including the scope and timing of vaccination for the remaining animals and any further biosecurity measures.