The majority of the deaths were recorded at Tiger Kingdom Mae Taeng and Tiger Kingdom Mae Rim, two privately operated animal parks that allow visitors to interact closely with big cats, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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Between 8 and 19 February, 51 tigers died at Mae Taeng and 21 at Mae Rim, according to a timeline released by the regional Protected Area Office.
Preliminary tests by livestock officials found that the 72 dead tigers were infected with feline parvovirus, also known as feline panleukopenia, reported The Bangkok Post.
Veterinary teams from the Chiang Mai provincial livestock office said autopsies confirmed the presence of the virus, while laboratory tests on samples from the carcasses also detected canine distemper virus (CDV) and Mycoplasma bacteria. No traces of influenza A, which causes bird flu, were found.
