Asian Elephants in Europe 2025

[Zoofan15]

Thanks for sharing this, it’s really unfortunate Sithami died and to now know she was pregnant, even worse…

It was a major blow to their breeding programme and in a twist of fate, her own daughter Sundara died while pregnant six years later.

The loss of the seven calves was of course tragic, but it’s particularly worrying that the EEHV4 strain is now known to have contributed to the death of an adult cow.

I really hope the new vaccine proves effective long term in providing protection to both calves and adults.

 

[Mr.Ivory]

It was a major blow to their breeding programme and in a twist of fate, her own daughter Sundara died while pregnant six years later.

The loss of the seven calves was of course tragic, but it’s particularly worrying that the EEHV4 strain is now known to have contributed to the death of an adult cow.

I really hope the new vaccine proves effective long term in providing protection to both calves and adults.

Even unfortunate that Sithami would have given birth only a month earlier than Sundara, had she survived, she would have given birth on February 8, 2020.

 

[john]

It was a major blow to their breeding programme and in a twist of fate, her own daughter Sundara died while pregnant six years later.

The loss of the seven calves was of course tragic, but it’s particularly worrying that the EEHV4 strain is now known to have contributed to the death of an adult cow.

I really hope the new vaccine proves effective long term in providing protection to both calves and adults.

yes. EEHV4 strain. contributed to death adult cows.
could we have missed some infections, and death by adult cows?
and what about adult bulls?

cows are cycling. or some do. could be pregnant. maybe we missed some clues.
males could be cycling in their way. could be taken in account.

 

[Jambo]

Article on Death of Sithami (1997-2018):

https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3148382/1/animals-12-00349.pdf

I was researching EEHV strains today and came across this article regarding Sithami’s death at Chester Zoo that I thought might be of interest to people.

Points of interest:

Sithami (1997-2018) was approximately five months pregnant when she died.

Her cause of death was a co-infection of EEHV4 and a bacterial infection.

Indali survived after testing positive for EEHV1A.

All calves at Chester Zoo that died of EEHV-HD tested positive for EEHV1:

1.0 Raman (2006) Died 2009
1.0 Nayan (2010) Died 2013
0.1 Jamilah (2011) Died 2013
1.0 Hari (2012) Died 2015
0.1 Bala (2013) Died 2015
0.1 Nandita (2015) Died 2018
1.0 Aayu (2017) Died 2018

That's very interesting news to learn. There's only one other elephant I know of that passed of EEHV4 in Europe, and that was a young bull who passed back in 2003 at Copenhagen.

I remember reading an research paper on his death - it was later determined he had tested positive for both EEHV1 and EEHV4 though. I do wonder whether Sithami also had a combination, but it's likely she would have strong immunity to the former. The strain of EEHV4 also presents very different symptoms to the usual EEHV1, so it's possible for that reason, they weren't able to confidently determine it as EEHV until post mortem tests.

 

[Zoofan15]

I remember reading an research paper on his death - it was later determined he had tested positive for both EEHV1 and EEHV4 though. I do wonder whether Sithami also had a combination, but it's likely she would have strong immunity to the former. The strain of EEHV4 also presents very different symptoms to the usual EEHV1, so it's possible for that reason, they weren't able to confidently determine it as EEHV until post mortem tests.

Sithami had a co-infection of C. perfringens type C and EEHV4; but her post-mortem blood test tested negative for the presence of EEHV1 DNA according to the article:

https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3148382/1/animals-12-00349.pdf

A blood sample collected during post-mortem examination was tested for the presence of EEHV1 (1A and 1B) [34] and EEHV3/4 [35] DNA by quantitative real time PCR (Animal Plant and Health Agency-Weybridge, England, United Kingdom). The blood sample was negative for the presence of EEHV1 DNA and was positive for the presence of EEHV3/4 (cycle threshold value of 21.65). The EEHV3/4 PCR amplicon was further re- solved by sequencing (Animal Plant and Health Agency-Weybridge, England, United Kingdom) and the presence of EEHV4 was confirmed.

It was noted to be the first report of a fatal co-infection of EEHV4 and C. perfringens in an adult Asian elephant.

 

[Frankie_number_1_fan]

All calves at Chester Zoo that died of EEHV-HD tested positive for EEHV1:

1.0 Raman (2006) Died 2009
1.0 Nayan (2010) Died 2013
0.1 Jamilah (2011) Died 2013
1.0 Hari (2012) Died 2015
0.1 Bala (2013) Died 2015
0.1 Nandita (2015) Died 2018
1.0 Aayu (2017) Died 2018

Seeing it all laid out here makes the losses Chester has had hit even harder...7 calves in almost 10 years. It is only fitting that Chester is the facility that would develop a sucessful vaccine.

Thinking back to Riva's death as well, did Chester ever release her cause of death? I know many of us suspected EEHV, but wonder if she was involved in the vaccine trial going on at the time.

 

[Zoofan15]

Seeing it all laid out here makes the losses Chester has had hit even harder...7 calves in almost 10 years. It is only fitting that Chester is the facility that would develop a sucessful vaccine.

Thinking back to Riva's death as well, did Chester ever release her cause of death? I know many of us suspected EEHV, but wonder if she was involved in the vaccine trial going on at the time.

Including adult cows (two of which were pregnant), Chester Zoo lost 12 elephants in 15 years:

1.0 Raman (2006) Died 2009
0.1 Sheba (1956) Died 2011
1.0 Nayan (2010) Died 2013
0.1 Jamilah (2011) Died 2013
1.0 Hari (2012) Died 2015
0.1 Bala (2013) Died 2015
0.1 Nandita (2015) Died 2018
1.0 Aayu (2017) Died 2018
0.1 Sithami (1997) Died 2018
0.1 Thi Hi Way (1982) Died 2020
0.1 Sundara (2004) Died 2024
0.1 Riva (2020) Died 2024

I can only imagine how demoralising this was for their keepers; but it strengthened their resolve to pursue a vaccine for EEHV-HD.

@Ryley contacted the zoo and was advised the following regarding Riva’s death (which is also the only information that’s been publicly released): “

An anomaly was detected in her daily blood test and It was imperative for us to investigate quickly and thoroughly but, heartbreakingly, while undergoing a further routine diagnostic procedure, Riva died under general anaesthetic.

 

[Jambo]

but wonder if she was involved in the vaccine trial going on at the time.

Very likely that she would have been at the least involved with providing blood samples ect. Aung Bo was apparently a huge component in the research and I recall a member on here mentioning he wasn't transferred across to Dublin until the team finished their vaccine trials with him.

 

[Zoofan15]

Very likely that she would have been at the least involved with providing blood samples ect. Aung Bo was apparently a huge component in the research and I recall a member on here mentioning he wasn't transferred across to Dublin until the team finished their vaccine trials with him.

That’s correct. Aung Bo was a participant in the vaccine trial and to state the obvious, having a test subject transfer between zoos (an obvious stressor) could corrupt the data being collected.

Furthermore, there was clearly a plan to breed Aung Bo and Sundara again (she was in calf when she died in 2024); and with his two daughters being below the recommended breeding age, there was no need to bring in a new bull at that point.

 

[Elephantguy10]

I read on Elewiki that there is the Plan to Move Minbu from Blackpool to Chester to reunit her with her daughter and granddaughter

Do you guys Know anything About this?

 

[Jambo]

I read on Elewiki that there is the Plan to Move Minbu from Blackpool to Chester to reunit her with her daughter and granddaughter

Do you guys Know anything About this?

The EEP has an active plan to renunite as much matrilines as possible together, so it's possible.

Within Blackpool's herd, Minbu's essentially on the outer flanks at the movement so it also makes sense in that aspect. It would be great for Chester especially to get another adult cow to build up their herd even more - I'm sure Minbu would be in a better social position at Chester, but it will be interesting to see how Karishma reacts if the move does end up taking place.

 

[Mr.Ivory]

I don't ever believe that this went announced but Cologne is expecting another calf. The zoo director apparently announced in June of last year that Shu Thu Zar is pregnant and due sometime in November, sire is most likely Bindu. As for an official announcement I can't for the life of me find a news source that confirms this.

 

[Frankie_number_1_fan]

I don't ever believe that this went announced but Cologne is expecting another calf. The zoo director apparently announced in June of last year that Shu Thu Zar is pregnant and due sometime in November, sire is most likely Bindu. As for an official announcement I can't for the life of me find a news source that confirms this.

I found a second pregnancy mentioned in a news article when Taro was born, but that's about all I could find officially. The specific cow was not mentioned though.
Germany's Cologne Zoo welcomes newborn elephant calf

 

[Mr.Ivory]

8-year-old Chandru will leave the Ostrava zoo and head to Pont-Scorff Zoo (also known as Les Terres de Nataé)
Zoo Ostrava - oficiální stránky

 

[MennoPebesma]

Wildlands would like to bring a second breeding bull to the zoo. This bull would become the teacher of the current bull, Yadanar. Six months after his arrival, he still hasn't mated with any cow. The cows are interested in Yadanar, but the keepers think he does not understand what to do with them. A second bull could show him how it is done, in the hope that he will then understand.

Source: https://dvhn.nl/drenthe/emmen/nieuwe-fokstier-wildlands-presteert-niet-47420420.html

 

[john]

maybe, maybe, Sibu would be za good candidate for this try out.
proven, closeby without a breeding job, less paper work.

maybe some other relevant candidates?

 

[ZCChip]

Wildlands would like to bring a second breeding bull to the zoo. This bull would become the teacher of the current bull, Yadanar. Six months after his arrival, he still hasn't mated with any cow. The cows are interested in Yadanar, but the keepers think he does not understand what to do with them. A second bull could show him how it is done, in the hope that he will then understand.

Source: https://dvhn.nl/drenthe/emmen/nieuwe-fokstier-wildlands-presteert-niet-47420420.html

that would be odd since Yanadar was born and raised at Cologne (Koln) where there is an active breeding herd.

I wouldn’t think Sibu is ideal. Amersfoort needs him for their own cows.

 

[MennoPebesma]

that would be odd since Yanadar was born and raised at Cologne (Koln) where there is an active breeding herd.

I wouldn’t think Sibu is ideal. Amersfoort needs him for their own cows.

Among other things, this is what the carers said in the article about Yadanar and the cows: ‘They touch Yadanar. And blow and suck. He also gets excited, but doesn't follow through. We think he doesn't really understand what he's supposed to do. But again, we don't know either. We can't ask him.’

Sibu currently lives in Artis, not Amersfoort. He has already done his job in Artis. Today I saw a photo of a transport crate there, so Sibu will not be in Artis for much longer.

 

[john]

that would be odd since Yanadar was born and raised at Cologne (Koln) where there is an active breeding herd.

I wouldn’t think Sibu is ideal. Amersfoort needs him for their own cows.

okay, in that case Sibu better should stay at Amersfoort in order to breed there.
excuse for my wrong idea

 

[john]

okay, in that case Sibu better should stay at Amersfoort in order to breed there.
excuse for my wrong idea

Yanadar born and raised at Cologne. maybe left too early.