Found Dead Tiger in the iceberg

In late March, while exploring outside Grand Teton National Park, one of our guides came across the carcass of a mountain lion beneath a tree. He immediately notified the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, who collected the carcass and sent it to Laramie for a necropsy--or, an autopsy on animals. We received the results last week: this lion, identified as a 2 - 3-year-old female, died of avian influenza. Based on her stomach contents, it is believed she contracted it from a Canada goose.

Bird flu, also known as H5N1, comes from wild and domestic poultry and can be transmitted to other animals through consumption of an infected bird or contact with bird poop, which can contaminate a water source. This is the fourth mountain lion in the state of Wyoming that is known to have died from avian influenza.

Humans rarely contract the virus--thus far, only those with close, extended contact with birds have been known to get it--but it is highly dangerous once infected. Wildlife officials across the country have this virus on their radar and are concerned about it increasing among our wildlife populations.

This virus is also a huge concern for livestock, as it can decimate a poultry farm and be spread to other livestock animals. We tend to see more cases of bird flu when spring migration begins and more birds are on the move. We can mitigate the spread of the virus by taking down bird feeders during an outbreak and limiting the interactions our pets have with wild birds.

Should you come across a dead animal with no obvious injuries or signs of trauma while wandering about the wilderness in your own backyard, please report it to your state's wildlife agency.