Exotic Animal Incident Report

Reported: Jun 08, 2007
Location: Seattle, Washington

Animal: Elephant
Animal Disposition: dead

Facility Type: Accredited AZA Zoo
Facility Name: Woodland Park Zoo

Category: Animal Death
Species: Elephant

Summary: Hansa, a 6-year-old baby elephant at the Woodland Park Zoo, died in her sleep. Initial post-mortem testing was inconclusive. She had been experiencing colic-like symptoms during the week prior to her death, but a definitive cause of her symptoms had yet to be determined. Update 07/02/07: After a necropsy was performed, it was subsequently determined that Hansa died from a newly discovered herpes virus.

Source: North Seattle Herald-Outlook, The Seattle Times