According to state media, dozens of tigers have died in zoos in southern Vietnam after an outbreak of bird flu.
Three lions and a leopard are also believed to have died from the virus along with 47 tigers since August.
The H5N1 outbreak hit the Vuon Xoai zoo near Ho Chi Minh City and the My Quynh wildlife sanctuary in neighboring Long An province.
An official told Reuters news agency that the animals may have become ill after being fed infected chicken.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health said two samples taken from the dead tiger tested positive for bird flu and officials were “tracing the origin of the chicken to determine the cause”.
The zoos declined to comment when contacted by AFP news agency.
Advice on the World Health Organization (WHO) website warns against consuming raw or undercooked meat and eggs from areas with avian flu outbreaks due to the high risk of infection.
The H5N1 virus strain mainly infects animals, and WHO says most human infections arise from close contact with infected live or dead poultry or contaminated environments.
Since 2022, there have been increasing reports of deadly outbreaks in mammals caused by influenza viruses, including H5N1.
Nearly 900 human infections have been reported since 2003, of which more than half were fatal.
