Chester Zoo Chester 2015 #3

My theory (and that's all it is) was that given the timing of when these deaths started (2009) that it was the adult female, Birma who arrived carrying it and then she transmitted it to the rest of the herd. She arrived at the start of 2006.. Raman (the first calf to die from it) was born towards the end of that year. Prior to 2009 (when Raman passed away) Chester hadn't had any positive cases...

Condolences to all at Chester though over this very tragic turn of events

 

That`s most likely not the case. It is normal for adult elephants to carry one or serveral strains of EEHV, and it is normal that serveral strains of EEHV are present in each and every herd (be it in zoos or in the wild). Chester`s elephants most likely caried serveral strains of EEHV ever since the arrival of the first elephant. Genetic research has also shown that herpes outbreaks within the same herd that appear years apart are usually NOT caused by the same strain, but by different strains - unless 2 calves die within a few weeks of each other like Bala and Hari now. Then it is usually the same strain of EEHV. But it is very likely that Raman for example died of a totally different strain then poor Hari now.

Why some herds loose so many calves and others not is unfortunately still unknown. Maybe some elephants are genetically more vulnerable to EEHV - now all but one of Upali`s calves are dead, and 3 of Upali`s siblings died from EEHV as well (Lohimi from Circus Knie and Xian and Aishu from Zurich Zoo). Hopefully the new generation of Chester calves fathered by Aung Bo have a better chance of survival. Aung Bo has about a Dozend siblings, and none of them ever fell ill with EEHV.

This is so heartbreakingly terrible.

 

Very sad news

I hope that Upali's young calves at Dublin fare better than those at Chester .

 

Raman, Jamilah, Nayan, Bala, and now Hari - EEHV keeps breaking hearts at Chester Such an awful disease. Am already keeping everything crossed that EEHV does not take baby Nandita when she hits the critical age in a couple of years.

 

Was at the zoo today, here's a few observations:
*Birds seen free-flying in monsoon forest: a small flock of grosbeak starlings; 3x victoria crowned pigeon; 1x white-naped pheasant pigeon; 1x chestnut-backed thrush; 1x asian fairy bluebird. Still feels a bit empty, hopefully more birds will be added soon
*I thought the turtles by the gharials were Orlitia borneensis, but the 2 signs were for Heosemys grandis and Batagur borneoensis
*Not been to the sunken garden in several years, good to see there's still large sterlet in the pool there.
*The bark had all been removed from the former indoor capuchin enclosure, work was going on inside the exhibit- perhaps not too long until it's new residents move in?
*Both elephant shrew exhibits in Secret World of the Okapi are now occupied.

 

sometime next year, the tender for the building work has only just gone out.

 

Animal right activists are critisizing Chester for the deaths of 5 elephants in 6 years:
Chester Zoo: Animal rights campaigners fury after five elephants dead in six years | Nature | News | Daily Express

 

Why aren't they doing consistent blood tests, behavioral observations, and providing proven anti-inflammatories? American zoos have lost one calf recently to the disease, meanwhile Whipsnade and Chester are ensuring the UK loses two each year... What's the deal? It seems like both facilities are falling below par in combatting EEHV.

 

Loxodonta: Don't make generalised comments when you don't know the facts. Chester Zoo does take 'consistent blood tests'. What do you mean by 'behavioral (sic)' observations? The calves' oral cavities and rectal temperatures are checked twice daily. The keeping staff were also spending 3-4 hours EVERY day training the calves for various diagnostic procedures and to accept different forms of treatment. What do you mean by 'providing proven anti-inflammatories'? EEHV is a viral disease: anti-inflammatories won't cure it. Chester Zoo works very closely with a number of organisations and specialist groups across the globe and has spent thousands and thousands of pounds and likely thousands of man-hours trying to combat the disease. EEHV is an extremely complicated disease with a complicated pathogenesis; eradicating such problems is not as straightforward as you would seem to make out.

 

Loxodonta: Also remember that Chester seems to have calves born almost yearly, meanwhile only a couple have been born in the while US recently. And of those, I don't think any are currently old enough for the virus to be fatal.

~Thylo

 

I was simply asking for this information to be brought to the table, because I haven't seen reference of it anywhere else. So thank you.
Re: the anti-inflammatory. Famciclovir, an ANTI-INFLAMMATORY to prevent the spread of a herpes outbreak in an organism, has been used in several successful instances in the United States with early detection of infection. I've seen no mention of the drug in Europe, particularly at Chester.

 

I am not sure about the other calves, but Chester used the protocol of constant surveillance and EEHV treatment developed in the US with Hari. Actually, his blood was tested DAILY since Bala died and treatment was started at the very first signs of EEHV. Of course is Famciclovir used in European zoos if a calf falls sick with EEHV. But the effectiveness of Famciclovir is not proven. It may not help at all. For poor Hari, it didn`t help.

By the way, Whipsnade saved a calf sick with EEHV in 2014 or 2015 using the US methods. And US zoos lost 2 calves due to EEHV in 2015, not just one (Jazmine and Malee).

 

Why would/should the zoo make such information available to the general public? Anti-inflammatories do not 'prevent the spread' of infection - they are anti-inflammatories. Anyway, Famciclovir is NOT an anti-inflammatory: it is an anti-viral drug with no proven effectiveness against EEHV. That said, Chester has spent literally tens of thousands of pounds using this drug in its elephants over the past years.

 

Well for one thing transparency in their efforts to follow, research, and treat the disease would provide little fire for the ARA's (who demonstrated at Chester following Hari's death) as well as the genuine questions about their protocol from people such as myself who are very much pro-zoo.

 

Do you know which it was?

 

Scott was stated as having survived the virus in the Whipsnade 2015 thread

 

Capybara born :
Tiny Capybara Explores with Mum at Chester Zoo - ZooBorns

 

Any ideas when the orangs are going to be moving?

 

I don't think it will be long now, bit I've not heard a definite date.