Over 70 tigers died within just a few days in February 2026 in a tourist facility in Thailand, the Tiger Kingdom, following a rapid outbreak of disease caused by canine distemper virus and aggravated by bacterial infections.
The virus spread in less than two weeks, affecting dozens of animals in two nearby facilities and resulting in one of the most serious mass mortality events ever recorded among captive tigers. Authorities confirmed that the disease, highly contagious among carnivores, was likely exacerbated by management conditions, including possible contaminated food sources and close proximity between animals.
This is not an isolated incident, nor an unforeseeable tragedy. It is the direct and predictable consequence of a system that exploits wild animals for entertainment under the false label of “sanctuaries”.
In facilities like these, tigers are confined in artificial environments, often in high densities, exposed to constant human interaction and used daily for tourist activities such as photographs and physical contact. These conditions are incompatible with their biological and behavioural needs and create the ideal environment for the rapid spread of disease.
OIPA ETS strongly condemns these practices, which are inherently unethical and represent a serious violation of animal welfare. Wild animals belong to their natural habitats, not to captivity for human entertainment. The commercial exploitation of wildlife under the guise of tourism not only causes suffering, but systematically exposes animals to avoidable risks, as clearly demonstrated by this tragedy.
Insufficient biosecurity measures, continuous exposure to humans and external pathogens, and questionable management practices make outbreaks not only possible, but inevitable. What happened in Thailand was therefore entirely preventable.
Tigers are apex predators that in the wild roam vast territories and exhibit complex behaviours. Reducing them to commodities for tourism compromises their physical and psychological well-being and fuels a global industry based on breeding, exploitation and profit.
OIPA calls on authorities to immediately ban all forms of direct contact between tourists and wild animals, enforce stricter regulations on wildlife facilities and shut down operations that profit from the exploitation of wildlife.
At the same time, tourists must recognise their role in sustaining this system. Every interaction, every photo, every ticket contributes to the demand that keeps these facilities operating.
Wildlife is not entertainment. Wildlife is not a commodity. This must end.
