Kenzi, a 6-year-old Asian elephant calf at the St. Louis Zoo that was the daughter of Raja and Rani, has died.
"This is a devastating loss for Kenzi's family, the elephant care team and the St. Louis community," Martha Fischer, Curator of Ungulates and Elephants, said in a statement Saturday. "Those who cared for Kenzi every day are understandably grieving. We put our hearts and souls into trying to save her."
The zoo said Kenzi died early Saturday morning, only days after being diagnosed with elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus. The virus is fatal to elephants and was detected in Kenzi in a blood sample taken Feb. 19.
The zoo said it started anti-viral medication as soon as the virus was detected and received constant care from veterinary and keeper staff.
Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus, or EEHV, was discovered in 1995 at the Smithsonian National Zoo. It is thought to affect mostly elephants younger than seven.
No other elephants at the St. Louis Zoo have tested positive for the virus, but the zoo said it is giving preventative treatment to 4-year-old Priya and conducting regular testing as a precaution.
Asian elephants are facing extinction, with fewer than 35,000 left in the wild, the zoo said.
from Health - Google News http://ift.tt/2F2QI2M
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