Bronx Zoo Tiger Tests Positive for Coronavirus, and the 'Tiger King' Reactions Roll In

A tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for the coronavirus, making her the first of her kind to [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

A tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for the coronavirus, making her the first of her kind to contract COVID-19. The tiger, named Nadia, was tested after she, five other big cats began showing symptoms of the respiratory illness. After the news broke, Twitter users made light of the situation with jokes about the Netflix documentary series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.

On Sunday, the Wildlife Conservation Society reported the 4-year-old Malayan tiger developed a dry cough and is expected to recover. Nadia's sister Azul, two Amur tigers and three African lions showed the same symptoms and are also expected to recover. Nadia's test was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

"We tested the cat out of an abundance of caution and will ensure any knowledge we gain about COVID-19 will contribute to the world's continuing understanding of this novel coronavirus," the WCS said in a statement. "Though they have experienced some decrease in appetite, the cats at the Bronx Zoo are otherwise doing well under veterinary care and are bright, alert, and interactive with their keepers. It is not known how this disease will develop in big cats since different species can react differently to novel infections, but we will continue to monitor them closely and anticipate full recoveries."

'Carole Baskins, Where are you???'

According to the WCS, the four tigers life at the Bronx Zoo's Tiger Mountain exhibit. There is also a male Amur tiger there, but he has not shown any symptoms. Other tigers in the Wile Asia exhibit, as well as snow leopards, cheetahs, clouded leopard, Amur leopard and puma are showing symptoms.

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"Our cats were infected by a person caring for them who was asymptomatically infected with the virus or before that person developed symptoms," the statement continued. "Appropriate preventive measures are now in place for all staff who are caring for them, and the other cats in our four WCS zoos, to prevent further exposure of any other of our zoo cats."

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'Carole Baskin Must Have Been to the Bronx Zoo'

With millions of Netflix subscribers stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic, Tiger King has become a streaming sensation since it was released on March 20. The seven-episode series enters on the rivalry between Big Cat Rescue owner Carole Baskin and big cat collector Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, also known as "Joe Exotic." Maldanado-Passage is now serving 22 years in prison after being convicted of plotting Baskin's murder and hiring a hitman.

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'Not Ready for This Tiger King Crossover'

This weekend, Jeff Lowe, Exotic's former business partner, claimed another episode of Tiger King is in the works. "Netflix is adding one more episode. It will be on next week. We're filming here tomorrow," Lowe said in a video shared by Los Angeles Dodgers star Justin Turner.

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'There's a Tiger King Joke in There Somewhere'

"You know it would be nice if I could actually see me being famous out there, but I've seen these same four walls for a year and a half now," Exotic said in a jailhouse interview Netflix shared last week.

"I'm done with the Carole Baskin saga," he later said. "It's now time to turn the tables and Joe get out of jail a free man and exonerated from all these charges."

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'Too Much of a Coincidence'

As of Sunday night, there are more than 337,000 coronavirus cases in the U.S., more than any other country. There are also more than 9,600 deaths, including 2,256 in New York City alone.

Photo credit: James Devaney/Getty Images

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