The four-year-old tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City, United States of America (USA) is believed to have caught the virus from one of the zoo keepers.

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BREAKING: A tiger at the Bronx Zoo has tested positive for coronavirus after coming into contact with a contagious employee. Nadia, a 4-year-old female Malayan tiger, tested positive for COVID-19. She, her sister Azul, two Amur tigers, and three African lions had developed a dry cough and all are expected to recover. Details at link in bio.

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ABC7 reported the incident, stating that the tiger developed dry cough and a decrease in appetite which led to tests that confirmed its condition.

USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa confirmed that the tiger has COVID-19.

The report also showed that another Malayan tiger, Azul, two Amur tigers, and three African lions had symptoms of coronavirus but are expected to recover fully.

It's quite scary to think that now even animals can get infected with the virus from humans.

Reports show that the person who infected the animals did not show any symptoms at the time of the incident.

Can pets get infected with COVID-19?

According to Nature, cats are more susceptible to the virus, but so far there hasn't been any pet to human infections detected, so there's not much reason to worry. Except, maybe for your pets.

Dogs are not as easily infected, although there has been news about men's best friends getting infected with COVID-19.

You're probably still safe even if your pets contract COVID-19

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), so far there is no evidence to suggest that any pet can transmit COVID-19.

"COVID-19 is mainly spread through droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. To protect yourself, clean your hands frequently and thoroughly.

WHO continues to monitor the latest research on this and other COVID-19 topics and will update as new findings are available," its FAQ section on WHO shows.

There's a lot that we still don't know about this virus, so the safest way to prevent it is by listening to those working hard to make sense of the disease such as the Health Ministry (shoutout to all our frontliners!) and World Health Organisation.