Heartbreak in the zoo: bull elephant Otto dies of herpes!

Heartbreak in the zoo: bull elephant Otto dies of herpes!

In the Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich there is mourning for the young bull elephant Otto, who recently died of a life-threatening herpes infection (EEHV 1). Otto was only born on November 11, 2020 and has integrated well into the elephant group in recent years. But his health deteriorated dramatically on the night from Sunday to Monday, prompting an emergency response program from vets and carers. Despite intensive medical efforts and a vaccination, his life could not be saved. He died in the early morning hours of June 16, 2025, according to the zoo's official press release.

Rasem Baban, the board and zoo director, expressed his sadness at the loss and emphasized the emotional impact on the team and the elephant herd. “We did everything we could to help him,” he said about the challenges that come with treating herpes infections in young animals. Otto is not the only elephant affected by this virus. After Umesh's death at Zurich Zoo, the eight-year-old elephant Omysha is also struggling with a severe herpes infection and is receiving antiviral medication and blood plasma transfusions from other elephants.

Loss and farewell

This stroke of fate initially struck the elephants Rani and Savani. These two young females were recently relocated to Munich from Leipzig Zoo after being excluded from their herd. However, they quickly settled into the new environment at Hellabrunn Zoo and are hoping to have offspring. It has now been reported that Rani and Savani said goodbye to Otto “as is usual with elephants”.

The loss of such a young and promising elephant not only affects the zoo team, but has also caused great sadness among visitors. The elephant house remains temporarily closed; however, it will reopen to the public on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. In a podcast episode, the zoo plans to share more information about Otto's fate and highlight the enormous importance of elephant care and breeding.

The challenges of the herpes virus

Unfortunately, herpes infections in elephants are not uncommon and can have fatal consequences, especially in young animals. At Zurich Zoo, other elephants are also showing signs of increased viral load, but are being closely monitored. The situation illustrates how important preventive health monitoring is, which can ideally be combined with various therapies.

The sad events surrounding the elephants in Hellabrunn and Zurich show once again how vulnerable the animals are and how much commitment and expertise are necessary to enable them to live a healthy life. The keepers and veterinarians are working to create the best conditions for the elephants and hope for many healthy years in the future.