In Thailand's Chiang Mai province, a private tiger park, "Tiger Kingdom," has temporarily closed after a highly contagious virus led to the deaths of 72 tigers. The outbreak, confirmed to be caused by distemper virus and bacteria, began around February 8th. Officials from the Chiang Mai veterinary department noted that detecting distemper in big cats is challenging due to their less frequent contact with humans, leading to delayed symptom recognition and intervention. The park, which allows visitors to interact with and photograph tigers, faces criticism from animal welfare groups like Peta, who argue that such facilities exploit animals and that their closure would prevent future tragedies. Authorities are implementing disinfection and vaccination measures to contain the virus.