Melbourne’s elephants test for deadly disease before big move to Werribee

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Testing on Melbourne Zoo's elephants for a potentially deadly disease is expanding before they move to their new home at Werribee Open Range Zoo. What makes it more complex is the need to constantly test them for the disease known as EEHV.

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00:00A stretch, a pachyderm petty and a scrub in hard to reach areas.

00:11But this isn't your average beauty ritual.

00:13It's the foundation of us being able to help them if they do get sick.

00:17Every week Melbourne Zoo's elephants have their blood drawn to test for a potentially

00:21deadly disease.

00:22EEHV is elephant endothelial herpes virus.

00:27Herpes?

00:28It's a herpes virus.

00:29The disease lies dormant in all Asian elephants.

00:32And similar to human herpes, it's not known exactly what triggers it, but EEHV can be

00:37fatal.

00:38In 2023, the zoo's nine-year-old bull, Mangi, died from the virus.

00:43It's incredibly sad for me because he's gone, but the people who were involved and had to

00:47try and help save him and couldn't have found that a really difficult case to come to terms

00:54with.

00:55From that grief, we've really tried to turn that into the positive of how can we make

00:58sure that we're leading in EEHV in Australia.

01:01Since then, blood testing has increased, especially now the herd has young calves entering an

01:05age where viral risks increase.

01:08The blood draw is critical to us being able to identify if there is an EEHV viral load

01:14within their blood, and then from that we can understand if we actually have to treat.

01:22To achieve that, the zoo trains the elephants to help by making it enjoyable and voluntary.

01:28Melbourne's herd only comes to this training barn for training, testing, and maybe the

01:32cheeky occasional snooze.

01:34They spend most of their day walking the two and a half hectares of space that they have

01:37at the zoo.

01:38But facilities here are aging, and when they get to Werribee, they'll have ten times the

01:42space than they currently have.

01:44The space is extraordinary out at Werribee that we've got for them.

01:48It's the size of Melbourne Zoo.

01:49Zoos Victoria is also on the front foot.

01:52Fifty-two-year-old matriarch Mek Kapar is a universal donor.

01:56Viral plasma is collected and has been used to help elephants suffering from EEHV.

02:01She's a lifesaver and she doesn't even know it.

02:03A process that'll only get better when the herd moves to Werribee.

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