DUBLIN ZOO OFFICIALS are “heartbroken” after the death of an Asian elephant from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV).

The Asian elephant is the largest land mammal on the Asian continent and two have died from EEHV at Dublin Zoo in the past week.

EEHV can cause a highly fatal haemorrhagic disease when transmitted to young Asian elephants – it poses no risk to humans.

It often lies latent in elephants and can be triggered without warning, as the virus is carried asymptomatically by many

Zinda, who was seven years old, died from the disease at Dublin Zoo yesterday, while Avani died from the same disease last Monday, 1 July.

Dublin Zoo described the losses as “devastating” and said that both elephants died despite the best efforts of the zoo’s dedicated veterinary team and international experts.

In a statement yesterday, Dublin Zoo said an “unprecedented effort” was made to save Zinda.

This included the Irish and UK governments facilitating the urgent importation of vital blood products and other essential supplies from Chester Zoo to provide the antibodies and help fight the infection.

“We fervently hoped this would have helped save Zinda’s life,” said Dublin Zoo.

“We are profoundly grateful 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.”

Currently, no other elephants in Dublin Zoo’s herd are showing signs of EEHV, but staff are closely monitoring their health and the EEHV response plan remains in place to protect the remaining members of the herd.

Dublin Zoo said it will continue to take all necessary measures to protect its elephant herd, particularly its younger members under the age of 10, as older elephants are not as vulnerable to illness from the EEHV virus.

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

Dublin Zoo also noted that global efforts are ongoing to develop an EEHV vaccine and to “find a solution to safeguard the future of the elephant population”.

Meanwhile, in the case of Avani who died on Monday and was eight years old, Dublin Zoo said she was receiving ongoing treatment but the virus progressed quickly.