Three Asian elephants have died in a month at Zurich’s zoo as a result of a lethal infection, and specialists are baffled as to how to stop its spread.
There are currently only five of these magnificent animals roaming the 11 000 square meter (118 400 square foot) elephant enclosure at the zoo that overlooks the largest city in Switzerland.
At the end of June, the two-year-old bull Umesh became infected with the Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV), and his sister Omysha, who is eight, caught it shortly after.
Ruwani, a five-year-old female from a second matriarchal herd, also passed away last Saturday.
The herpesvirus, which causes internal hemorrhage and organ death in juvenile Asian elephants, quickly claimed them.
This virus is “the primary cause of death for elephants between the ages of two and eight years” in captivity.
Pascal Marty, zoo curator, spoke to AFP.
He added that although “it’s a bit difficult to identify,” the virus has also been known to kill elephants in the wild.
ZURICH’S ZOO TRAPED BY DEADLY ELEPHANT VIRUS
Nearly all elephants, whether in the wild and in captivity, have the herpesvirus, which can occasionally unexpectedly turn fatal and kill its victims in a matter of days.
“We still don’t understand why or when it occurs,” said Marty.
The five adult Asian elephants that were still present in the zoo were allowed to spend some time together among the remains of their young family members and friends.
Marty stressed the significance of giving the animals “enough time to say goodbye.”
Because melancholy is a human emotion, it might be difficult to determine whether someone feels sad, said he.
However, he emphasized that because elephants are very sociable creatures, it is crucial that they be given the opportunity to recognize when a member of their herd has passed away.
“It is crucial for them to understand that this person is no longer a part of our group and to have closure.”
Less than a week after the most recent fatality, the enormous creatures can be seen casually going about their regular duties, including swimming in a sizable pond and looking for food.
They insert their trunks into holes where dried grass and carrots are dispersed at random by a computer program in an effort to mimic the animals’ natural foraging behavior.
Stress
Mauro Muller, 29, a frequent traveler, said, “It is sort of sad, especially considering I think the elephants do have enough space here in Zurich.”
In 2014, the Zurich Zoo unveiled a brand-new elephant habitat that gave the herds six times the space they had before.
But eight years later, the zoo admitted that it had “tough days.”
Even though the university animal hospital in Zurich provides the best veterinary care, it is particularly aggravating that we are helpless against this infection.
Director of the zoo Severin Dressen made a statement.
Antivirals are available, but they are not very effective, and even when elephants receive rapid treatment, only approximately a third of them survive. There is no vaccination.
“The disease’s epidemiology is still unclear,” said Bhaskar Choudhury, a veterinarian and participant in the Asian Elephant Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
He explained to AFP that the virus is intermittently secreted by adults but becomes more frequent during times of stress, which is assumed to be the source of infection for young calves.
“Worldwide mortality in captivity and more so in the wild is of great concern to the IUCN.”
‘Ambassadors’
With only around 50,000 remaining in the wild, Asian elephants, which can live up to 60 years old, are classified as an endangered species by the IUCN.
In addition to being threatened by poaching and the illicit ivory trade, their natural habitat has been destroyed by deforestation, urban growth, and agricultural development.
It’s crucial to have healthy populations of Asian elephants in Europe because numbers are decreasing practically everywhere.
Marty stated, adding that in the interest of conservation
He claimed that the Zurich Zoo has one of the most advanced elephant enclosures in the world and is committed to carrying out its breeding program.
He referred to the park’s elephants as “partners” in spreading awareness of the issues that wild elephants deal with.
“At the zoo, elephants play a crucial role as ambassadors for their own species,” said he.