BHUBANESWAR: A one-and-a-half-year-old male elephant calf died of herpes infection at the Nandankanan Zoological Park here on Thursday.
Zoo sources said the calf named ‘Abhi’ tested positive for the virus on September 19 and was extended immediate medical care. “It was kept under treatment and round-the-clock observation near the zoo veterinary hospital. However despite anti-pyretic administration, its body temperature continued to remain high and there was complete loss of appetite in the jumbo,” said a senior zoo official.
On Wednesday, the calf’s health improved slightly as it started taking food and looked active. However, changes were seen in its behaviour again on the day as the calf started trumpeting loudly and was getting up repeatedly.
“The jumbo calf was immediately provided oxygen support and life-saving drugs. However despite all efforts, Abhi couldn’t be saved. He died at about 12.30 pm,” the officer said.
Zoo sources said Abhi had been brought to Nandankanan from Keonjhar forest division in June 2023 at the age of around two months after being abandoned by his mother. The calf was being hand-reared at the zoo since then.
As per the zoo sources, the calf’s first lab report on September 19, when its trunk wash sample was sent for examination after it showed symptoms of herpes infection and was not accepting food, tested negative. However later, its blood samples confirmed presence of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV).
Detection of the virus put the zoo authorities on toes as the herpes virus outbreak in the Nandankanan zoo in 2019 had claimed lives of four elephants in a span of less than one month. One of the survivors of the outbreak, a five-year-old female jumbo named Mama, also died of herpes infection while undergoing Kunki training at Chandaka last month.
Zoo authorities said following detection of the virus on September 19, the other jumbos especially the two female calves, have been put under preventive care with guidance from the Centre for Wildlife Health in OUAT. The elephants are being kept separately as part of the protocol issued after the EEHV outbreak in 2019.