CLEVELAND — Five tigers at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo tested positive for COVID-19, officials announced Wednesday.
Zoo officials said they’re not sure how they contracted the virus. Three of them started to show mild symptoms, such as sneezing and coughing, on Dec. 12. Staff then tested the remaining tigers out of precaution.
The Rosebrough Tiger Passage will be temporarily closed until the tigers fully recover. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no evidence that animals have a role in transmitting the virus to humans, but the zoo said they’re taking precautions.
However, it has been known for humans to transmit the virus to animals in zoos, according to the CDC, including “several types of big cats, otters, non-human primates, a binturong, a coatimundi, a fishing cat and hyenas.” The Akron Zoo had five lions test positive for the virus in September, citing an infected staff member who passed on the virus.
The three tigers that showed symptoms are recovering, zoo officials said.
