Hansa died, Woodland Park Zoo's young elephant

Seattle zoo's beloved young elephant dies

At the Woodland Park Zoo, it was like a death in the family. Plainly distraught, even barely able to speak at times for choking back tears, zoo administrators announced the death of 6 ½-year-old elephant Hansa, who was found dead in her stall Friday, her mother standing by her side.

Hansa was the city's first elephant born at the zoo. Wildly popular, she grew up with the city's young and young at heart.
(clip)
Hansa's death is both a surprise and a mystery. The young elephant began feeling ill late last week. She was off her feed and seemed a little tired. Veterinarians at the zoo checked her over, and over again. But they couldn't find anything definitively wrong. They gave her extra fluids, vitamins and antibiotics — just in case. By early this week, Hansa (HAHN-suh) seemed to be getting better. But shortly before 8 a.m. Friday, zookeepers discovered the worst.
(clip)
Out of respect for the other elephants in Hansa's herd, the zoo's Elephant Forest exhibit was closed for the day, and possibly longer. Hansa's body was left undisturbed for the morning, so the other elephants could pay their respects. Social animals, elephants are known to grieve losses in their family...(more@link)

.....
The most closely related viruses to the one that infected Hansa are the Asian and African elephant endotheliotropic herpes viruses, known as EEHV. But that is not what killed Hansa, said Bohmke. For one thing, he said, she didn't have a swollen purple tongue, a herpes sign.

The virus that attacked Hansa attacked the lining of her blood vessels, but zoo officials don't know how she contracted it — nor whether any of the zoo's other elephants are at risk. But Bohmke said the other elephants appear healthy....