- During the night from Saturday to Sunday, a newly born bull elephant died at Zurich Zoo.
- This is announced by the Zurich Zoo.
The young animal was too weak – not even the medical start-up help from the veterinarians present could change that. The elephant calf will be examined pathologically in the coming days to determine the exact cause of death, the statement said Zoo Announcement.
The animal was born just before midnight last Saturday. The fact that there could be problems became apparent early on: Because the birth had not taken place several hours after the amniotic fluid had passed, the veterinary team initiated this with a labor-inducing agent. The animal was born a short time later.
However, it was quickly apparent that it was very weak. Mother Farha and grandmother Ceyla-Himali, who was also present, took care of the male cub and tried to revive it. The veterinarians also tried to help. Nevertheless, the cub died shortly after birth.
Third dead elephant calf since 2020
The dead elephant calf is the third young animal to have died shortly after birth at Zurich Zoo in recent years. Elephant calves born in April and August 2020 also only survived for a very short time.
Older elephants in the zoo also recently had health problems that led to deaths: last summer, several young elephants died in the zoo as a result of a herpes infection. It is not known whether the virus played a role in the current death. “Currently, nothing suggests a connection with the viral diseases,” says the zoo statement.