The Oregon Zoo said the youngest elephant, Lily, suddenly died from a virus on Nov. 29.
Zoo staff couldn’t save her in time, the zoo said, adding that Lily fought until the end of her life.
“When she passed, she was with her mother Rose-Tu and surrounded by people who had cared for her since her birth. Her aunties Chendra and Shine also spent time beside her. Lily brought joy to everyone she encountered. This is a heartbreaking loss for the herd and our entire community,” according to the statement from the zoo.
The Oregon Zoo then said it closed the zoo on Nov. 30 “to give staff a chance to grieve.”
“I can’t imagine a more devastating loss for this zoo family and our community,” said Dr. Don Moore, zoo director, according to KPTV. “Lily was the darling of the zoo. She was loved by everyone from her elephant family to the people who cared for her every day to her thousands of fans. Our staff did everything they could and fought to save her until the very end. Everyone is in mourning here. It is just heartbreaking.”
After zoo staff noticed something was amiss with the elephant, they began treatment immediately with fluids and medication as well as a transfusion, the report said.
EEHV is the leading cause of death among elephants under the age of 8, zoo officials told OregonLive.
“It’s very difficult to study the virus in wild elephants,” Moore said. “But zoos can monitor their elephant herds closely and obtain samples of blood and other fluids. Right now, that’s our best hope of developing a vaccine.”
The Oregon Zoo is located in Portland.