The coronavirus tests of tigers that live in Zoo Miami have proven to be negative. The analyses of the Sumatran tigers were conducted after they had shown signs that they might be affected by COVID-19.

The zoo spokesperson named Ron Magill said that the tigers showed symptoms like nasal discharge, fatigue, and loss of desire for food.

Tests were conducted under immense caution

Authorities from the zoo stated that the tests were done by veterinarians under immense caution while keeping in mind that the shown symptoms could be a result of numerous other conditions.

The tests comprised of nasal, throat, eye, and rectal swabs, and the test kits used weren’t the same ones as those used for testing humans. In total, 11 big cats were tested, and all of them were sedated before the veterinary service workers did the tests.

The signs were real, but the sickness was not

Although the result had proven that the tigers are not infected, it is yet unclear what made the tigers exhibit the same symptoms. An animal team explained that the signs exhibited by the tigers could be due to allergies or a common cold.

The zoo administration got panicked when the tigers showed coronavirus symptoms because several tigers that are being administered at the Bronx Zoo had similar symptoms and were confirmed to be suffering from the deadly disease.

An infected worker caused the spread

At the Bronx Zoo, five tigers and three lions have tested positive for the coronavirus. There were some that had symptoms, while some had none, which further prompted other zoos to test their own big felines.

The 4-year-old tiger from Malaysia named Nadia was one of those put to the test by the USDA’S national veterinary services and had also tested positive. The WCS news release reports that all of the tigers inside the zoo had developed a dry cough.

Up until recently, there was no clear evidence that the virus could be transmitted to animals from humans. According to the Bronx web page, all of the cats were indeed infected by a zoo caretaker who had tested positive.

Bronx Zoo cats are expected to make a full recovery

All the tigers at the Bronx Zoo are now off to a full recovery. They are now back to acting normally and eating their regular diet. As far as health is concerned, their cough has already been magnanimously reduced. However, the zoo is still closed until further notice.