A big cat sanctuary in Washington is temporarily closed and quarantined after bird flu killed 20 wild cats there, including cougars, bobcats and a tiger.

Twenty big cats, including a half-Bengal tiger and four cougars, died between late November and mid-December at a sanctuary in Washington State after becoming infected with bird flu, according to the facility’s director.

Bird flu has been on the rise in Washington state and one sanctuary was hit hard: 20 big cats – more than half of the facility’s population – died over the course of weeks.

The sanctuary in Washington state said it was working with officials to determine the cause of the outbreak, which has killed over half of its cats in recent weeks.

A wildlife sanctuary in Washington state is under quarantine after 20 big cats died due to H5N1 bird flu infections.

Twenty big cats have died after contracting bird flu at a Washington State animal sanctuary. The Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington in the city of Shelton announced the deaths on December 20. Just two weeks prior, officials confirmed the presence of bird flu in the sanctuary, which forced the center to close and quarantine.

In a matter of days, dozens of large cats have died of bird flu in several states from Arizona to Washington. Police in Houston said several kids trying to rob a man were subsequently shot, with one now in critical condition.

The killer virus swept its way through a Washington non-profit conservation centre, forcing the charity to close its doors and undergo a strict quarantine in the hope the bird flu would not take any m