Hansa died, Woodland Park Zoo's young elephant

[uppityperson]

I remember when she was born, saw her when she was little. She was quite something.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003741191_hansa09m.html

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.
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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.
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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)

As a baby (bunch of pictures at link)

[Mojambo]

1. Damn. She owed me 50 bucks.

Kept trying to pay me in peanuts. The bitch.

RIP, Hansa.

[SeattleGirl]

2. Saw that in the paper this morning.

That's so sad. I love the picture in your OP of her.

[maxsolomon]

3. Elephants don't belong in small groups in zoos

america's elephant population should be in sanctuaries where they can form family groups. people can come see them, sure, but no more zoos.

ditto for wolves, big cats & bears.

http://www.elephants.com/sanct.htm

[uppityperson]

4. Especially elephants.

[maxsolomon]

5. have you seen the wolves at the zoo?

pacing back & forth in their compound? if you have a dog, you know canine anxiety when you see it.

i can't go to the zoo anymore. it breaks my heart & makes me more misanthropic.

[uppityperson]

6. Update:Cause of Hansa's death: newly discovered herpes virus

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003771258_webhansa02m.html

.....
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....