More sad and alarming news from a zoo.
14 lions were put down at the Tehran zoo in Iran after they were diagnosed with an infectious disease that could potentially spread to human visitors.
Most likely due to mismanagement at the zoo, the lions were suffering from glanders, a bacterial disease found in horses, donkeys, mules as well as other domesticated animals that can spread from infected animals to humans.
Hopefully the outbreak was contained before it had time to spread to any other animals or humans in the zoo, but since the disease takes to domesticated animals, there are fears that the disease could be spread through the city by stray cats.
A local veterinarian said:
“The feral cats, which frequently go to the zoo, can transfer the disease to the rest of the city easily.”
It probably doesn’t help that the zoo is located in western part of Tehran near densely populated neighborhoods, but lets cross our fingers that this is the last we hear of the disease in the city.
[Image via AP Images.]
