3 lions, 4 tigers test positive to coronavirus at New York zoo

Three lions and four more tigers at the Bronx Zoo in New York have tested positive for coronavirus, officials have announced. The animals were tested after Nadia, a four-year-old Malaysian tiger, caught the bug, reportedly from a keeper.


The Wildlife Conservation Society said in a statement: "We tested the tigers and lions out of an abundance of caution and will ensure any knowledge we gain about covid-19 will contribute to the world’s continuing understanding of this novel coronavirus."

“The testing of these cats was done in veterinary laboratories and resources used did not take from those being used for human testing."

All but one of the big cats had shown symptoms, including a cough, similar to Nadia’s.