BRONX, N.Y. — Nadia a four-year-old Malayan tiger, at the Bronx Zoo, was diagnosed with coronavirus after her handlers noticed she was eating less and had a dry cough. Dr. Paul Calle is the Chief Veterinarian at the zoo and says employees first noticed and reported the symptoms.
"She was test positive and it surprised everyone because that hadn't been documented before,” says Dr. Calle.
3News spoke with the Akron Zoo’s Senior Director of Life Sciences to get more information about the transmission. Dr. Kim Cook says since the tiger lived a life in quarantine, there’s one leading thought as to how she contracted the coronavirus.
“The current presumption is that she had a zoo keeper taking care of her that was asymptomatically carrying the coronavirus who later became positive,” says Dr. Cook.
But what about domesticated cats? 3News asked the Executive Director of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Dr. Chris Kuhar if a pet cat can transmit the coronavirus.
“What the USDA is saying at this point, is that there’s no evidence that the virus can be transmitted from an animal to a human,” says Dr. Kuhar.
Experts say if you are sick, it’s a good idea to take extra safety steps around your cat.
“Maybe snuggles are not quite as face to face as they might sometimes be, especially if you’re feeling sick,” says Dr. Cook.
Now as for the Bronx Zoo, there are another three tigers and three lions currently displaying symptoms, so staff members are watching them closely.