As mentioned yesterday, domestic cats are susceptible to COVID-19, and I suggested that large cats in zoos therefore may well contract it, so it's something that zoo vets should consider. This evening, it's reported that a tiger at Bronx Zoo has indeed come down with the virus; allegedly passed to the animal by an asymptomatic feline keeper.
I believe they have four tigers at that facility, so it seems reasonable to suspect that the other three are also infected. I'd also bet cash money that the keeper involved is female, and for two primary reasons: 1) today, zoos tend to prefer to hire young, relatively inexperienced women as opposed to men, and 2) the women tend to get more touchy-feely with the animals than do the men.
In my view, these attitudes contribute to unnecessary risks to both the keeper and the animals.
