A big cat sanctuary in Washington is temporarily closed and quarantined after bird flu killed 20 wild cats there, including cougars, bobcats and a tiger.

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.

The sanctuary in Washington state said it was working with officials to determine the cause of the outbreak, which has killed over half of its cats in recent weeks.

Twenty big cats, including a half-Bengal tiger and four cougars, died between late November and mid-December at a sanctuary in Washington State after becoming infected with bird flu, according to the facility’s director.

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."

The animals - including a Bengal tiger, cougars and bobcats - have died of the virus over the past several weeks.

An animal sanctuary in Washington is under quarantine after 20 big cats died amid a bird flu outbreak, the Wild Felid Advocacy Center announced.

The killer virus swept its way through a Washington non-profit conservation centre, forcing the charity to close its doors and undergo a strict quarantine in the hope the bird flu would not take any m

In a matter of days, dozens of large cats have died of bird flu in several states from Arizona to Washington. Police in Houston said several kids trying to rob a man were subsequently shot, with one now in critical condition.