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Louisville’s Zoo’s 3-Year-Old Elephant Dies From EEHV

Incident Date:
06/23/2023
Location:
Louisville, KY - USA
Facility Name:
Louisville Zoo
Facility Type:
Accredited AZA Facility (AZA)
Incident Category:
Animal Death (AD)
Species:
Elephants
Animal:
Animal disposition:
Dead

Summary:

Fitz, Louisville Zoo‘s 3-year-old elephant diagnosed with EEHV virus, has died.

EEHV, or elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus, is an infectious herpesvirus only found in elephants, particularly young ones, who live in both captivity and in the wild. EEHV is considered the primary cause of calf mortality in the global captive Asian elephant population. While African elephants are also susceptible to their own EEHV’s, reported fatalities are fewer.

The zoo realized Fitz was sick after another elephant “repeatedly placed her trunk in Fitz’s mouth, which is abnormal behavior.” They also noticed he was lethargic. The Louisville Zoo sent a blood sample to the Smithsonian Zoo, which confirmed the presence of EEHV.

Action take by Born Free USA:

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