Category: Asian Elephants
In honor of August being Asian Elephant Awareness Month, the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is sharing about its commitment to elephant conservation through the story of Malee, the first Asian elephant born at the OKC Zoo, who passed away unexpectedly on October 1, 2015, at the age of four years old after succumbing to the deadly elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Following the loss of Malee, the Zoo’s Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Jennifer D’Agostino, led...
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Monday, January 6, 2020
Late this summer, caretakers observed female Asian elephant Asha, 24, demonstrating a “squinty” eye. This is not a common behavior and was initially treated with topical medication by Zoo veterinary staff. When the issue didn’t resolve after the initial round of treatment, teams determined it was time for an examination by an ophthalmologist.
When dealing with animal ocular issues like Asha’s, the Zoo consults Dr. Jonathan Pucket, a full-time veterinary...
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at Monday, January 6, 2020
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
The OKC Zoo is celebrating World Elephant Day on Sunday, August 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Presented by Bob Moore Subaru, Zoo guests are invited come together for elephants and enjoy a day of fun and learning with games, crafts, bio-facts and other activities on-site at the Zoo’s Sanctuary Asia elephant habitat and entry plaza. For this special day, the elephant caretakers from Sanctuary Asia share their favorite memories about one of the Zoo's seven Asian elephants...
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at Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
The Oklahoma City Zoo continues to be a leader in the field of animal medicine, innovating a new stem cell-based treatment to improve blood flow and shorten recovery time. When geriatric elephant Bamboo, 53, experienced a minor tail wound, veterinary staff came together and made a plan to help accelerate healing. Tails have smaller blood vessels and take longer to heal, especially in older animals. The OKC Zoo veterinary team decided to launch a two-pronged treatment approach. First, the...
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at Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
This week would have marked Asian elephant Malee’s eighth birthday. She was the first elephant calf born at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden after many years of work and the completion of a new elephant habitat. Instead, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the progress being made against the virus that claimed her life in 2015 when she was only four years old.
A lethal virus called EEHV (elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus) is causing the death of young elephants...
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at Tuesday, April 16, 2019