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.

A Washington state wildlife sanctuary is mourning the deaths of 20 wildcats amid a bird flu outbreak as the virus infects poultry farms, dairy cattle and some people across the nation. The Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington in Shelton,

Bird flu ripped through a Washington state wildlife sanctuary, killing 20 big cats, the center said in a Facebook post, calling the deaths a "significant loss."