Thai officials say 72 tigers at tourist parks died of canine distemper.

TLDR

Thai officials report that 72 tigers at tourist parks in northern Thailand died from canine distemper, not bird flu, easing public concerns. Autopsies revealed the presence of canine distemper virus and bacteria, but no bird flu virus. The parks remain closed as officials monitor people who had contact with the tigers for any symptoms.

Thai officials confirmed that the deaths of 72 tigers at tourist parks in northern Thailand were caused by canine distemper virus.

The tigers, located in Chiang Mai’s Mae Taeng and Mae Rim districts, died over a ten-day period in February 2026, prompting authorities to monitor staff and visitors despite there being no evidence of human infection.

While necropsies pointed to canine distemper and bacterial infections exacerbated by stress and inbreeding, some experts have raised concerns that the proximity of the two parks suggests a shared source of infection, such as contaminated food.

The affected parks remain closed.