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Third elephant dies from herpes virus at Zurich Zoo

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Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is an international news organisation owned by Thomson Reuters

Another elephant has died at Zurich Zoo from the herpes virus, the park said on Saturday, the third to die there from the condition since the end of June.

Ruwani, a five-year-old elephant cow, died on Saturday morning after succumbing to Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV), a condition carried latently by nearly all elephants.

Her death follows that of Omysha, an eight-year-old female who died on July 11, and two-year-old male Umesh, who passed away at the end of June. read more

Ruwani had been given anti-viral drugs to protect her and showed no signs of illness until Friday, the zoo said.

“Losing the third elephant to this dreaded virus in such a short time is a tragic loss for Zurich Zoo,” said zoo director Severin Dressen.

“Today is a deeply sad day,” Dressen added. “It is particularly frustrating that we are powerless against the virus despite the best veterinary care from the university animal hospital.”

Together with her mother Farha and grandmother Ceyla-Himali, Ruwani formed one of two groups of elephants at the Zurich Zoo. Umesh and Omysha formed the other group, along with their mother Indi and sister Chandra. The zoo also has a male elephant called Thai.

Young elephants between the ages of two and eight are particularly susceptible to the herpes virus as the protection provided by their mother’s antibodies decreases and their own immune system may not have formed its own antibodies.

Also Read:Viral video: Baby elephants play on road at night

The zoo said there was a low risk of disease for the remaining elephants, with Farha now the youngest at the age of 17, although all the animals will continue to be monitored.

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