Dec. 26 (UPI) — The Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington lost 20 of its big cats to bird flu, the sanctuary announced.
The outbreak took the lives of one Amur/Bengal tiger, four cougars, one African caracal, two Canada lynx, one Geoffroy cat, one Bengal, one Eurasian lynx, four bobcats and five African servals, officials said.
“This tragedy has deeply affected our team, and we are all grieving the loss of these incredible animals,” the team wrote in a Facebook post announcing the deaths. “Now, we turn to the community for support as we focus on the care and recovery of our surviving felids.”
“The mounting medical costs, even at discounted rates, have placed a significant financial strain on our sanctuary,” officials add.
The facility is not open for public visitors at this time.
“As an animal sanctuary, we are equipped to manage outbreaks through: strict biosecurity measures, quarantining affected animals, and comprehensive disinfection protocols,” officials said.
The most recent death occurred Dec. 13.