LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Last Friday, about a month before he was to turn 4, Fitz, the beloved elephant calf at the Louisville Zoo, died after a brief viral infection. The loss left the staff and community heartbroken.
“We lost him tragically,” said the zoo’s director, Dan Maloney Monday. “It’s really unfortunate. Our team worked extraordinarily hard to try to save the little guy.”
Staff put Fitz on an antiviral last Tuesday after noticing symptoms, and were treating him three times a day, according to the zoo.
Wednesday, they diagnosed him with a deadly condition known as endotheliotropic herpesvirus, or EEHV.
There is no vaccine for it, according to the zoo.
Dr. Zoli Gyimesi, the zoo’s senior staff veterinarian, said the adult elephants living with Fitz likely had strains of the virus dormant in their system.
“We knew we were battling an uphill battle,” he said. “The fatality rate with this virus once they develop hemorrhagic disease is like 80% … I’m proud of the way our staff responded. It was a real focused and dedicated effort.”
Fitz’s 37-year-old mother Mikki also lost her only other calf, years earlier, the zoo said.
Staff said Mikki and another elephant, Punch, appear to be behaving normally and are at a much lower risk because of their age.
A necropsy has been performed on Fitz, according to the zoo.