Canine distemper has killed at least 72 captive tigers at a private animal park in northern Thailand, authorities said, as officials moved to disinfect enclosures and prepare vaccinations for surviving animals in a bid to contain the outbreak.

The deaths occurred this month at Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai province, a popular tourist attraction that allows visitors to touch and pose for photographs with the big cats.

The facility has been temporarily closed.

A statement issued on Friday by the government’s region five livestock office for Chiang Mai said testing detected the highly infectious canine distemper virus. Veterinarians also identified mycoplasma bacteria affecting the respiratory system as a secondary infection.

The exact cause of death had initially been unclear.

Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, director general of the department of livestock development within the Thai agricultural ministry, told the Thai outlet Matichon that the tigers had been infected with feline panleukopenia, pointing to some uncertainty in the early stages of the investigation.

Dozens of tigers began showing signs of illness on Feb 8, local media reported.

The outbreak has affected two districts in Chiang Mai — the mountainous regions of Mae Rim and Mae Taeng.

Officials called the scale of the deaths “rare.”

Kritsayarm Kongsatri, director of the wildlife conservation office in Chiang Mai, told Thai media the number of fatalities was “very unusual”.

Somchuan said the nature of captivity made detection difficult.

“Treating sick tigers is very different from treating dogs and cats. Dogs and cats live closely with us, so when they show symptoms, we can respond and provide treatment right away. Tigers, however, aren’t living closely with humans. By the time we notice that something is wrong, the illness may already be advanced,” he said.

Authorities have not said how many tigers remain at the park.

The park where the deaths occurred could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

Its website advertises opportunities for visitors to “hug, touch, and take photos up close with tigers”.

The incident has drawn criticism from animal welfare groups.

"These tigers died the way they lived - in misery, confinement and fear," animal rights organisation PETA Asia told AFP.

"If tourists stayed away, these places would quickly become unprofitable, and tragedies like this would be far less likely to happen," the group added.

Mass tiger deaths from infectious diseases have occurred in the region before.

Between August and October 2024, 47 tigers and three leopards died in south Vietnam after contracting bird flu.

Thailand has also faced similar crises. In October 2004, bird flu spread through the Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Chonburi province in eastern Thailand. A total of 147 of the zoo’s 441 tigers died or were euthanised to prevent the virus from spreading further. Fresh chicken carcasses fed to the animals were identified as the most likely source of infection.

Authorities in Chiang Mai are continuing to investigate the latest outbreak.