11-year-old tiger tests positive for COVID-19

KNOXVILLE, Tenn, (KRDO) -- An 11-year-old tiger at a Tennessee zoo tested positive for COVID-19.

The Zoo Knoxville confirms one of the male Malayan tigers, named Bashir, has the SARS-CoV-2. That is the same virus that causes COVID-19 in humans.

Two other tigers -- Arya, a 6-year-old female, and Tanvir, also an 11-year-old male -- are presumed positive for the virus.

The animals exhibited very mild symptoms including coughing, lethargy, and loss of appetite, according to Lisa New, the president and CEO of Zoo Knoxville.

They are now in isolation until they are symptom-free for 72-hours, test negative or 14 days have passed since the last positive test.

The zoo believes the tigers caught the virus from an asymptomatic caretaker or staff member.

"Based on the information that we have to date, the likelihood of an animal, particularly tigers, passing the disease to a human is very, very low," says New.

The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine has been monitoring the trio of tigers for the past few days. They say the animals are alert, active, and no longer have symptoms.