Leopard, three tigers die of Avian flu in Maharashtra’s Gorewada Rescue Centre

Tigers and leopard die of H5N1 virus at Gorewada Rescue Centre, Maharashtra, prompting red alert and bio-security measures.

Three tigers (one tiger and two tigress) and one leopard (female) have died of H5N1 or Avian Influenza (AI) virus at Gorewada Rescue Centre in Maharashtra’s Nagpur. A red alert has been issued on January 3, 2025, by the Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Central Zoo Authority, to all the zoos, rescue and transit centres in the State for preparedness of zoos to prevent ingress of AI.  

The veterinarians of the Wildlife Research and Training Centre at Gorewada has also issued a detailed bio-security measures to prevent access of birds to animals’ enclosures by using nets or covers along with routine sampling and testing of birds in and around the facilities along with regular monitoring of animals for their unusual behaviour or any symptoms indicative of the virus.   

Government data says 628 tigers die in India during the past five years

The advisory read, “The H5N1 (Avian Influenza) has been detected at the Wildlife Rescue Centre, Gorewada, Nagpur in December 2024. The investigation has revealed that the animals have died of H5N1. In order to curb the menace, information/advisory is being issued.” 

The objective of the advisory is to minimise the risk of AI transmission to animals, ensure early detection and rapid containment of cases and protect staff and other animals from infection. 

Shatanik Bhagwat, Divisional Manager, Gorewada Project said the animals contracted the virus 10 days ago and died in the last week of December 2024. “On December 30, 2024, we sent the samples to ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NISHAD), Bhopal that confirmed the H5N1 virus on January 3, 2025. The samples were sent after their death.”   

Nasal, pharyngeal and rectal swabs samples of the animals were collected for examination in labs. These animals were brought from Chandrapur, Maharashtra, after a human-wildlife conflict incident occurred in the region in December.