Hanoi. More than a dozen tigers were incinerated after contracting bird flu at Vuon Xoai Zoo in Bien Hoa, southern Vietnam, officials reported.

A caretaker revealed that the tigers were fed raw chicken sourced from nearby farms. The deceased included a panther and 20 tigers, with weights ranging from 10 to 120 kilograms. They showed signs of illness for only two days before dying.

Samples from the tigers tested positive for H5N1, the virus responsible for bird flu, which has evolved to affect various animals, including dogs, cats, sea lions, and polar bears.

Currently, over 20 other tigers are isolated for monitoring at the zoo, which houses around 3,000 animals, including lions, bears, and giraffes. The 30 staff members caring for the tigers have tested negative for the virus.

In a related incident, 27 tigers and 3 lions died within a week at a nearby zoo in Long An province last September.

“The deaths of 47 tigers, three lions, and a panther at My Quynh Safari and Vuon Xoai Zoo amid Vietnam’s bird flu outbreak are tragic and highlight the risks of keeping wild animals in captivity,” PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.

“The exploitation of wild animals also puts global human health at risk by increasing the likelihood of another pandemic,” Baker added.