'Heartbroken' New York Zoo Loses Two Young Elephants to 'Lethal' Virus in One Week

Five-year-old Batu and one-year-old Ajay both died from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV), a "lethal strain of herpes that targets Asian elephants," according to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.

By

Kelli Bender

Published on December 15, 2020 02:51PM EST

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is in Syracuse, New York, is mourning the loss of another young elephant just days after the death of a year-old calf.

On Sunday, the zoo announced on Facebook that their 5-year-old Asian elephant Batu died on Friday morning after succumbing to Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV), "a lethal strain of herpes that targets Asian elephants."

"This is obviously the worst possible outcome, and it occurred after more than a week of intensive care by our team in hopes that every day Batu survived gave him a better chance to beat this horrible disease," zoo director Ted Fox said in a statement.

Batu was being treated for EEHV since Dec. 3, when a blood test sent to the Smithsonian National Zoo Conservation Biology Institute’s National Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory came back positive for the virus. Batu didn't show many of the physical symptoms associated with EEHV, but the virus load in his blood continued to grow each day.

The zoo wrote in their Facebook post that their "elephant team and the veterinary staff from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine worked tirelessly" to care for Batu and followed an "aggressive" treatment plan with anti-viral and herpes medicines, and plasma infusions from Batu's adult female herd mate Romani.

Even though he was showing few "outward clinical symptoms" and had help from numerous animal experts, on Friday morning, eight days after testing positive, Batu "laid down to rest and never got up," Fox said in his statement on Batu's death.

Batu's little brother Ajay, who would've turned two in January, died "suddenly" from EEHV days before Batu on Dec. 8.

"Although we knew this could happen, it’s hard to accept," Ryan McMahon, a county executive of Onondaga County, which owns the zoo, said in the zoo's announcement of Batu's death. "Words can’t begin to express our sadness and grief. Yet we know that as heartbroken as we are, our elephant team and our zoo need our support more than ever."

Batu will be remembered as the little elephant who had trouble putting on weight as a newborn but grew up to be a playful young animal that loved training sessions, pool time, and trying to sneak food from other elephants. He and his late brother Ajay were inseparable according to the zoo.

As with Ajay, the six surviving members of the zoo's elephant herd — Batu’s parents, grandmother, and "aunties" — were able to spend time with Batu after his death and grieve the loss. His remains and Ajay's will go to Cornell and contribute to EEHV research.

The zoo hopes that guests who have fond memories of Ajay and Batu will honor the animals by helping save Asian elephants from extinction.