San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo -along with partners at UC Davis and the National Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory-will carry out a project to close the knowledge gap around elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), a serious health threat to both Asian and African elephants. In the last year alone, the number of EEHV deaths and illnesses in African elephants has more than doubled. The project will include weekly sample collection of 30 elephants and validation of non-invasive EEHV sampling techniques for use in free-ranging and orphaned African elephants. An elephant sample bank will be created to support future EEHV work. Information gathered will be translated into practical recommendations for elephant caretakers and will be disseminated globally.