TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Deadly elephant virus stalks Zurich zoo
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are seen at Kaeng Krachan elephant park at Zurich zoo on July 27, 2022. A deadly virus has swept through Zurich's zoo, killing three Asian elephants in a month and leaving experts stumped as to how to stop its spread. The zoo overlooking Switzerland's largest city now has only five of the majestic creatures roaming its 11,000-square-metre (118,400-square-foot) elephant enclosure.
(AFP/Fabrice Coffrini)
A
deadly virus has swept through Zurich's zoo, killing three Asian elephants in a month and leaving experts stumped as to how to stop its spread.
The zoo overlooking Switzerland's largest city now has only five of the majestic creatures roaming its 11,000-square-metre (118,400-square-foot) elephant enclosure.
Two-year-old bull Umesh was the first to fall victim to the Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) at the end of June, followed just days later by his eight-year-old sister Omysha.
Last Saturday, Ruwani, a five-year-old female from a second matriarchal herd also died.
They succumbed at lightning speed to the herpesvirus, which leaves young Asian elephants with internal bleeding and organ failure.
In captivity, this virus is "the main cause of death for elephants between two and eight years", zoo curator Pascal Marty told AFP.
The virus has also been known to kill elephants in the wild, he said, but "it's a bit harder to detect".
