Routine EEHV Monitoring at the Houston Zoo

The Houston Zoo has a herd of 10 Asian elephants, including Thai, Methai, Tess, Shanti, Tucker, Tupelo, Baylor, Duncan, Joy, and Tilly.  The herd ranges in age from less than 1 year old to more than 50 years old. As part of vigilant monitoring for EEHV, the young elephants have blood collected every at least once weekly to screen for viremia by qPCR and for a complete blood count (CBC).  This is in addition to daily exams by the elephant keepers, who carefully evaluate each elephant for appetite, attitude, behavior, and signs of physical wellness, like tongue color, temperature, and blood pressure. By participating in this study evaluating non-invasive diagnostics for EEHV, the herd at the Houston Zoo can help to develop techniques that can save Asian elephants in the wild.