ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Whipsnades new baby Elephant
- Thread starter MARK
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In honesty this virus requires a lot more work to get details like that but extrapolating from other herpes virus's there is likely to be some protection from maternal antibodies covering for at least the first few months of life. Very young animals could be born infected but this would require infection at a specific stage of gestation.
On another note is this definitely confirmed regarding LeeLee - I can't find any reference to it on internet and haven't heard anything from contacts at ZSL.
Andy
catinthehat
Well-Known Member
well the article was in my local paper on wednesday so i'm pretty sure its true....and I know they don't put all their articles on the internet. But I could try and scan it in if anyone would like to read it.
What is interesting is how it seems to 'strike' certain calves, but not others born at different times in the same group -as at Whipsnade- and I hope I am not tempting fate by saying that...
Well it seems I almost was tempting fate by saying that....
but I'm still shocked that another fatality has happened so soon. They have a serious problem with this now and I suspect ZSL will issue a statement about it in due course.
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If you could would be much appreciated - would be intersting to see what's been written.
Andy
catinthehat
Well-Known Member
catinthehat
Well-Known Member
I;ve tried to make it a bit bigger but the original file is too big to attach so I hope you can all read it!
catinthehat
Well-Known Member
hopefully this time is better!
edit to add this article from another local paper: http://www.dunstabletoday.co.uk/dunstable-news/Virus-kills-another-Whipsnade-Zoo.5292905.jp
edit to add this article from another local paper: http://www.dunstabletoday.co.uk/dunstable-news/Virus-kills-another-Whipsnade-Zoo.5292905.jp
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Virus kills another Whipsnade Zoo baby elephant - Dunstable Today
Made it to the internet now..........sorry duplicate link to above post, i didnt see her edit!
Zoos dont like to publicise bad news, coming so soon after Donaldson this gives cannon fodder to the anti-zoo brigade and being the cynic I am I'm sure ZSL would be hoping to keep it quiet ahead of one of their busiest weekends. Having seen the report in the local paper I'm suprised that the nationals and organisations such as born free etc haven't picked up on it yet. I was suprised to see that the death had made it to the local paper at this stage. I'm not sure if the Ele Enyc gets its info from ISIS, the Elephant SSP or just from searching news reports. If ZSL are awaiting pathology reports to confirm cause of death this may take a few days before they make an official statement.
I suspect that the UK national newspapers are so obsessed with the behaviour of our MP's that many other stories , such as elephant deaths , that would normally have been picked up have passed them by . I understand that the nationals have staff checking through local papers picking up interesting stories .
And the internet!
Cant understand the shock in the UK that its politicians are as corrupt as those elsewhere around the world
The story had been picked up by one of the animal welfare orgs calling again for govt. intervention. I find it preposterous that these kinds of stories still find their way in the media (which for part I am afraid holds the same dinosaur views - as MP's on personal expenses do - on elephants in captivity. It has nothing whatsoever to do with management ... just any elephant death in captivity is used to glorify Zoo Check et al and their activities (which do not benefit elephant conservation or conservation of any other species for that matter) and attempts to have all elephants go to sanctuaries to live out their natural lives, do not reproduce (for goodness sake, hell if they would have a baby, kill, Bill! 
) and let them go extinct in captivity (case closed, but prospects of elephants in the wild none the wiser and no public opinion at home to even physically relate to elephants (and do not blabber on that natural history documentaries are a great substitute for seeing an elephant in the flesh ..., if so ... you must have serious brain damage 
)!!!
In the ZSL/Whipsnade elephant death episodes the probable cause of death EEHV has indicated once more that it constitutes a real zoo animal health issue, in particular for small infant elephants. Whereas research and some methods of treatment exist none have yet shown up to be 100% effective. That is the dilemma the entire Asian elephant captive breeding programme is struggling to come to terms with, and the EEP and aligned partners are heavily involved in developing an effective EEHV treatment.
To make an animal welfare issue out of this by these so-called animal lovers-aka animal welfare extremists - is too preposterous to even imagine. And anyone on
) and let them go extinct in captivity (case closed, but prospects of elephants in the wild none the wiser and no public opinion at home to even physically relate to elephants (and do not blabber on that natural history documentaries are a great substitute for seeing an elephant in the flesh ..., if so ... you must have serious brain damage )!!!In the ZSL/Whipsnade elephant death episodes the probable cause of death EEHV has indicated once more that it constitutes a real zoo animal health issue, in particular for small infant elephants. Whereas research and some methods of treatment exist none have yet shown up to be 100% effective. That is the dilemma the entire Asian elephant captive breeding programme is struggling to come to terms with, and the EEP and aligned partners are heavily involved in developing an effective EEHV treatment.
To make an animal welfare issue out of this by these so-called animal lovers-aka animal welfare extremists - is too preposterous to even imagine. And anyone on
The EEHV virus is the biggest reason for not making huge herds in a few sancturies, not that the anti-zoo brigade would ever see my point of view!!!!
johnstoni
Well-Known Member
But longer term, is the general consensus on here that we just need to breed captive elephants to maintain an international captive herd to act as ambassadors for wild elephant conservation? As opposed to managing a captive population that could one day be used to supplement wild populations in countries where former ranges have been lost?
Looking at this situation with just that one herd at Whipsnade in mind, what would be the least cruel option for the welfare of the remaining animals? Would further breeding heal the emotional trauma of losing so many calves in a short space of time? Or should they be retired and kept at Whipsnade? Or perhaps split up and moved to more successuful herds? But then there is the issue of containing the virus. I'm not sure the captive gene pool would cope if restrictions were in place based on animals exposed to it.
Looking at this situation with just that one herd at Whipsnade in mind, what would be the least cruel option for the welfare of the remaining animals? Would further breeding heal the emotional trauma of losing so many calves in a short space of time? Or should they be retired and kept at Whipsnade? Or perhaps split up and moved to more successuful herds? But then there is the issue of containing the virus. I'm not sure the captive gene pool would cope if restrictions were in place based on animals exposed to it.
No point in splitting up the herd, it is a veterinary issue at best. Besides, if you wish to contain the virus you much first isolate its source. Transfer or transport out would be the worst possible option or way forward.
What Whipsnade's curatorial and vet management need to determine is the source of the infection, which individuals in the herd have been exposed to EEHV, which ones are carriers and which ones are non-carriers and determine which individual may have been the potential source of the EEHV virus (not that this in itself would have any repercussions on this particular individual) infection.
Efforts need to be intensified to find an effective treatment for EEHV in Elephas maximus, both adults and infants (the latter category being the more vulnerable). If I am correct, several herds in continental Europe do have surviving calves and adults from previous EEHV infection. We need to take the research from there.
What Whipsnade's curatorial and vet management need to determine is the source of the infection, which individuals in the herd have been exposed to EEHV, which ones are carriers and which ones are non-carriers and determine which individual may have been the potential source of the EEHV virus (not that this in itself would have any repercussions on this particular individual) infection.
Efforts need to be intensified to find an effective treatment for EEHV in Elephas maximus, both adults and infants (the latter category being the more vulnerable). If I am correct, several herds in continental Europe do have surviving calves and adults from previous EEHV infection. We need to take the research from there.