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Virus killed elephant calf

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-04 07:51

A baby elephant died at the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada, over the weekend after a brief battle with a virus that has killed dozens of captive elephants around the world in the past two decades, zoo officials said.

The 15-month-old pachyderm, named Malti, collapsed and died on Saturday afternoon, one day after being diagnosed with elephant herpesvirus, a disease that can cause internal bleeding, zoo officials said.

"The disease, which has also been diagnosed in the wild, is responsible for the death of nearly a dozen young North American elephants in the past 20 years," the zoo said. "Over 40 cases have been documented in North America, Europe and Asia."

A string of animal have died at the Calgary Zoo since 2004, including a hippopotamus, several gorillas, more than 40 stingrays, and another young elephant who was rejected by her mother.