A Bronx Zoo tiger infected with coronavirus more than likely got the virus from a zookeeper, according to reports.
“It’s the first time, to our knowledge, that a (wild) animal has gotten sick from COVID-19 from a person,” Paul Calle, the zoo’s chief veterinarian, told National Geographic. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.
Cats, both domestic and wild, are susceptible to feline coronavirus, the report said, but scientists had been unaware that they could contract the COVID-19 strain from humans.
The Wildlife Conservation Society, the nonprofit that runs the zoo, said in a statement Sunday that Nadia, a 4-year-old Malayan tiger, had tested positive for the virus after developing a dry cough and other flu-like symptoms.
