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The refuge remains open, and experts say the virus poses no threat to humans. Workers at the Texas refuge have been collecting information to help scientists learn more about the virus while trying to nurse ill animals back to health. Williams said the ferret vaccine was given to animals at her refuge that weren't showing symptoms, though five of the six that died were among those vaccinated. Outbreaks have included one in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park in 1994 that killed a third of its 3,000 lions.Ī spokeswoman at the big cat sanctuary said they tried both traditional and experimental treatments to no avail.Īlthough there are vaccines for dogs and ferrets, studies have shown the dog vaccine isn't safe for big cats and no evidence the ferret vaccine is effective in big cats, Sharp said. Researchers discovered about 30 years ago that the virus, which can afflict many different species, could infect big cats, said Claire Sharp, assistant professor of clinical sciences at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. The virus can progress from respiratory and digestive issues to neurological problems. Refuge spokeswoman Lisa Williams added: "We just have to give them the best supportive care we can and hope that their bodies can fight it."Įxperts believe raccoons likely started the outbreak by crawling around the huge outdoor cages that house more than 50 lions, tigers, cougars, bobcats and other cats. "I can be looking at them one day and be thinking they're OK, and the next day they have a seizure and die," said the center's founder, Vicky Keahey. The outbreak of the virus - which has no cure and is usually associated with dogs - was discovered in late May at the refuge about 30 miles northeast of Dallas More than a dozen lions and tigers are still suffering from canine distemper at the In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Education Center in Wylie.

Four more tigers and a lioness soon suffered the same fates in an outbreak that the refuge's founder calls "an absolute living nightmare." But hours later, he had a seizure and died.

WYLIE (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - Apollo was his usual friendly self at feeding time, even though the 12-year-old tiger was fighting a virus that had sickened numerous big cats at his North Texas animal sanctuary.