Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects poultry and wild birds, but can occasionally be transmitted to mammals.

Three tigers and a leopard at a Nagpur rescue centre have succumbed to avian influenza, prompting the Union government to sound an alert for zoos across the country. This is a rare instance of the highly contagious H5N1 virus affecting rescued wildlife in India.

Three tigers and a sub-adult leopard at Gorewada Rescue Centre in Nagpur died from avian flu H5N1. This is the first time the virus caused significant wildlife deaths in captivity in India. Health measures were taken,

The animals had been transferred to Gorewada from Chandrapur in December after incidents of human-wildlife conflict. Lab test results on January 1 confirmed that they died from the H5N1 virus.