Zurich Zoo mourns elephant

Thursday, 30 June 2022 06:30

Zurich Zoo is in mourning after a 2-year-old bull elephant died of a herpes virus typical of elephants.

The disease was detected late last week and vets started antiviral treatment, but Umesh took a turn for the worse on Tuesday and died in the evening.

Zoo keepers left him with his mother and two sisters overnight to allow them to grieve.

Researchers are now studying the body in an effort to find out more about the virus and they hope to develop a vaccine.

The elephant specific virus affects the wild population as well.

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