The 4-year-old female Malayan tiger tested positive after
developing a dry cough and is expected to recover, the Wildlife Conservation
Society’s Bronx Zoo said in a news release.
Samples from Nadia were taken and tested after the tiger — and
five other tigers and lions at the zoo — began showing symptoms of respiratory
illness, according to the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA). No other animals at the zoo are showing symptoms.
“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,” the zoo said.
“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.”
The animals were
infected by a zoo employee who was “asymptomatically infected with the
virus” while caring for them, according to the zoo. The Bronx Zoo has
been closed to the public since March 16.
Anyone sick with the
coronavirus is being advised to minimize contact with animals, including
pets, until more information is known about the virus, the USDA said.