Dublin Zoo has confirmed the death of a second elephant within a week.
The zoo said the two young females died from an ‘unpredictable and fatal’ virus that can affect young elephants both in the wild and in care.
Seven-year-old Zinda died yesterday, while eight-year-old Avani died on Monday, July 1st.
Both died after contracting Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) – a virus that poses no risk to humans but can be fatal for young elephants.
The zoo said the other elephants in the heard are currently not showing signs of the virus; however, veterinary teams are closely monitoring their health.
There are now three generations of Asian elephants living at Dublin Zoo! Newest arrival Zinda, her mother Asha and grandmother Bernhardine! pic.twitter.com/dZR5i0pGvE
— Dublin Zoo (@DublinZoo) December 6, 2016
It said Zinda was receiving “round the clock care” from the zoos veterinary team as well as an international expert before her condition deteriorated.
“In an unprecedented effort to save Zinda, both the Irish and UK governments facilitated the urgent importation of vital blood products and other essential supplies from Chester Zoo to provide the antibodies and help fight the infection,” it said.
“We fervently hoped this would have helped save Zinda’s life.
“We are profoundly grateful to Chester Zoo for their unwavering support during this critical time.
“A special thank you also goes to An Garda Síochána, who escorted the blood products from Dublin Port to the zoo.”
Virus
The zoo said it has an EEHV response plan in place to protect the rest of the herd adding that staff will “continue to take all necessary measures to ensure their safety”.
“The support and advice from the international veterinary and elephant communities has been extraordinary,” it said.
“The quick progression of the virus in Zinda underscores the challenges of managing this disease, even with the highest standards of care and vigilance.”
Vaccine
Global efforts to develop an EEHV vaccine are ongoing, with researchers “working tirelessly to find a solution to safeguard the future of the elephant population”.
Zinda was born at Dublin Zoo to mother Asha in 2016.
