OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Zoo announced Thursday (Oct. 1) that their baby elephant, Malee, died.
Malee was a 4-year-old Asian elephant who was born at the zoo in 2011. She was the first elephant born at the zoo, and quickly became a favorite.
Zookeepers noticed that Malee was moving slower than normal on Wednesday, which continued throughout the day, according to a zoo press release. When they saw discoloration around her mouth in the late afternoon, they began treatment for elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus (EEHV).
Malee died around 4 a.m. Thursday morning.
EEHV is a highly fatal disease that usually strikes when elephants are between 1-4, according to the International Elephant Foundation.
However, EEHV can’t be confirmed as the cause of death until a necropsy on Malee’s body is completed.
To read more about Malee on our affiliate station KFOR’s website, click here.
