OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Zoo says the elephant herpes virus — or EEHV — was not the cause of death of an elephant at the zoo.
Zoo spokeswoman Tara Henson told The Oklahoman that the zoo’s veterinarians received test results Wednesday that rules out EEHV as the cause of death of the 37-year-old Asian elephant named Chai. Henson says other test results that could identify the cause are still pending.
Chai was found dead Saturday in the zoo’s elephant habitat.
The elephant was controversially transferred from Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo to Oklahoma City eight months ago, along with another elephant.
The Seattle-based Friends of the Woodland Park Zoo Elephants that wanted the elephants sent to a sanctuary in California has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate the death.
