SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — A second young elephant has died at a central New York zoo despite frantic efforts by staff to combat a lethal virus. Officials at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse say 5-year-old Batu died early Friday morning, days after the sudden death of his younger brother, Ajay. Both elephants died from a strain of herpes that targets Asian elephants. The zoo says Batu had been in treatment since last week, receiving medications and infusions of plasma, but the viral load in the calf's blood grew exponentially by the day. The EEHV virus is believed to be naturally occurring.
Erin Finga/AP
This photo, provided by the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, shows elephant calf, Ajay, with his big brother, Batu, age 5, in Syracuse, N.Y. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo announced the death of Ajay, an Asian elephant calf, on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. He died from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus, which poses a high risk to young elephants. (Erin Fingar/Rosamond Gifford Zoo via AP)
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