Elephant At PLG Minas Dies Exposure To Virus, Riau KSDA Calls Symptoms Swelling Face

A female elephant calf was declared dead at the Minas Elephant Training Center (PLG), Siak Regency, Riau Province. (Between)

RIAU - A female elephant calf was declared dead at the Minas Elephant Training Center (PLG), Siak Regency, Riau Province. The death of the elephant aged approximately three years is thought to have been caused by an infection with the viral "ethotropic herd virus" (EEHV).

Head of the Riau Province Conservation and Natural Resources Center (KSDA), Genman S Hasibuan, said the elephant died on Saturday, August 12 at around 07.00 WIB.

The elephant, named Rizki, was born on September 18, 2020 at PLG Minas from a mother elephant named Nia

"The medical team immediately carried out neucropies and in anatomical pathology the cause of death was suspected to have been caused by infection with the EEHV virus," he said in Siak, Sunday, August 13, which was confiscated by Antara.

Genman said that on Friday, August 11, Rizki as usual carried out activities to wash, be given a drink and food. Then they were herded into the forest to be paid (hit) in good health and there was no visible signs of pain.

However, at around 17.00 WIB, Mahout (the elephant handler) came to Rizki to be herded back from the forest to PLG Minas. At that time, Mahout saw a swelling in the elephant's face, and then immediately escorted back to PLG Minas for medical treatment.

Furthermore, Mahout reported Rizki's condition to the medical team of the Riau KSDA Center in Pekanbaru. Veterinarians ordered Mahout to provide additional nutritional food, and guide Mahout to intensively monitor and observe the progress of his condition.

"During the observation period, apart from the swollen face, there was no real change, but on August 12 at around 07.00 WIB the elephant died," he said.

From the results of the examination, he said, the elephant died due to exposure to the EEHV which was marked by the condition of the cianosis tongue (blueness), swollen face and eyes (udema), open nus had a liquefied liquid. Then in the skin there are many blood spots and in the mesentrium and eerosae there is a complete bleeding throughout the peritonium cavity.

"Conditions of the stomach, lungs, runoff and large intestines have bleeding, the liver has swelling (hepatomegali), membranes in the kidneys are sticky and experience bleeding. The condition of the heart has extensive bleeding in all cardiac layers (appear black)," he said.

He also explained, to determine the cause of the elephant's death, in several parts of the organ, namely, the heart, liver, runoff, kidneys, lungs, tongue, large intestines, fine/small intestines are set aside and will be tested in the laboratory.