An 8-year-old Asian elephant named Avani and a 7 year-old elephant named Zinda both died due to the disease, with a number of others in the herd also testing positive for the virus.
Two elephants, Asha, aged 17, and Samiya, aged 10, tested positive in July, while Dina, the 40-year-old matriarch of the herd, also tested positive but because of her age, she was not considered at high risk for serious illness.
The life-threatening virus can remain latent in elephants for years but when active can cause internal bleeding and death, with younger elephants particularly at risk as they are less likely to have developed sufficient levels of immunity.
All three have now recovered and are no longer at risk, while bull elephant Aung Bo was closely monitored but never tested positive for the active virus, meaning the zoo “now has a clean bill of health”, a spokesperson said.
The bull elephant, who was in quarantine since his arrival from Chester Zoo in June as part of the European Endangered Species Programme, has now been successfully integrated with the rest of the herd.
“Everyone involved worked tirelessly during the most critical and challenging days of this emergency, regularly consulting with international experts in elephant health and virology,” they added.
“Given the seriousness of EEHV, Dublin Zoo animal care and veterinary teams worked round the clock, spending hundreds of hours on site during the crisis. As just one example of the team’s commitment and unwavering care that played a massive role in the elephant’s recovery, vet Niamh McGill was just back from maternity leave and had her husband bring their baby to the Zoo so she could breastfeed him while caring for the elephants.”
The zoo said Chester Zoo provided vital blood products to help fight the infection, with the urgent importation of these supplies facilitated by Irish and UK governments and escorted from Dublin Zoo by An Garda Síochána.
Dublin Zoo also thanked the public for their support which was a “huge source of strength and morale to the zoo team as they navigated one of the toughest periods the zoo has ever faced”.
“It’s a bittersweet moment for everyone here at Dublin Zoo. While we are relieved and grateful that our elephant herd has recovered from the EEHV outbreak, we will never forget the tragic loss of two elephants earlier in this challenging journey,” said Dublin Zoo director Dr Christoph Schwitzer.
“This outcome is the result of two months of unwavering dedication and hard work from our animal care and veterinary teams, whose commitment has made us incredibly proud.
“We are determined to use our experiences during this trying time for Dublin Zoo in a positive way, and the widespread interest in the story has led to outreach from the Irish scientific community, who were keen to offer assistance and advice. A number of these conversations, while at an early stage, offer a potential path towards an effective treatment.”
