The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden announced Thursday morning Malee, its four-year-old female Asian elephant, died overnight.
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However, EEHV can’t be confirmed as the cause of death until a necropsy on Malee’s body is completed. Despite the aggressive treatment, officials said Malee declined rapidly and passed away at approximately 4 a.m.
Malee was the first elephant born at the Oklahoma City Zoo in 2011. Zoo officials say she quickly became a favorite.
The zoo says they noticed Malee moving slower than usual Wednesday, but otherwise she seemed fine.
It’s unclear how Malee may have contracted the virus. A 2012 Seattle Times investigation found that infant mortality among zoo elephants is 40 percent, almost three times the rate in wild elephant populations.
“We have specific protocols to treat and intervene in case we were concerned which were implemented in this case”, said Lawson.
Officials say a young elephant has died unexpectedly at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
“It’s just a shock to lose an animal like that, that’s part of this really wonderful elephant family that was growing here”, he said.
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Malee and Achara’s mother and their aunt were also both exposed to a type of herpes virus at the Missouri zoo where they were born.
