Dublin Zoo announces death of seven-year-old elephant

Dublin Zoo has announced the death of seven-year-old elephant Zinda.

In a statement, the zoo said the elephant died due to Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV).

It follows the recent death of another elephant, Avani, on 1 July to the same virus.

“Despite receiving round the clock care from our dedicated veterinary team and international experts, Zinda’s condition deteriorated,” it said.

“EEHV is an unpredictable and fatal virus affecting young elephants both in the wild and under human care,” it added.

EEHV poses no health risk to humans.

The death of Zinda followed an “unprecedented effort” to save the animal’s life, which included governments, gardaí and a British zoo.

Dublin Zoo said that “both the Irish and UK governments facilitated the urgent importation of vital blood products and other essential supplies from Chester Zoo”.

This was done with the aim of providing “the antibodies and help fight the infection”.

Dublin Zoo expressed its profound gratefulness to Chester Zoo for “their unwavering support during this critical time”.

“A special thank you also goes to An Garda Síochána, who escorted the blood products from Dublin Port to the zoo,” it said.

It described the support and advice from international veterinary and elephant communities as “extraordinary”.

No other elephants in the herd are showing signs of EEHV and staff are closely monitoring their health, it said.

The zoo said its EEHV response plan will remain in place to protect the other members of the elephant herd.

“The quick progression of the virus in Zinda underscores the challenges of managing this disease, even with the highest standards of care and vigilance,” the zoo said.

The zoo explained that global efforts are ongoing to develop an EEHV vaccine, describing the efforts by zoos and wildlife researchers across the world as tireless.

Dublin Zoo said its “commitment to the well-being of our elephants remains steadfast, and we will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure their safety”

“We deeply appreciate the messages of support we have received from the public during this incredibly challenging time,” it said.