Beco a 13 year old Columbus Zoo Asian Elephant has reportedly Died from a deadly and life threatening virus known as Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus [ EEHV ].
According to the Columbus Zoo management the Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus is life threatening to both Elephants in the wild and those in the sanctuaries.
Beco was born at the Columbus Zoo on March 27, 2009, to Phoebe (mother ) and Coco ( father ) and weighed 303 pounds at birth. Beco’s name is a combination of the last two alphabets from the mother’s name, and the first two from that of his father’s.
Beco’s care team On June 16 noticed he was “acting sluggish with little to no energy” and quickly conducted blood tests with the National Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Beco’s Laboratory result came back positive for the Virus.
Before Beco’s demise, his treatment included antiviral medications and fluids as well as regular infusions of plasma, whole blood, and stem cells. He breathed his last at about 11 a.m. on June 18.