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.

The Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington announced it is under quarantine amid a devastating bird flu outbreak that has killed 20 big cats.

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 Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington is under quarantine amid a devastating bird flu outbreak that has killed 20 big cats.

A Portland-based pet food company issued a recall on one of its products after a cat in Washington County contracted bird flu and died after eating the food, the Oregon Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday.

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.

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

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.