Delhi zoo’s African elephant died of viral infection that affected its heart, reveals post-mortem

The Delhi zoo’s lone African elephant, Shankar, died of a viral infection that affected his heart, its final post-mortem report has revealed.

Delhi Zoo director Sanjeet Kumar did not comment on the matter or the findings of the report.

Officials said the Encephalomyocarditis (EMCV) virus, which causes inflammation of heart muscles, was identified as the cause of death. The elephant was found dead in its enclosure on September 17.

Earlier, the zoo said preliminary findings suggested “acute cardiac failure”, with the final cause to be confirmed by the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly.

The EMCV virus can spread through rodents such as rats, which act as natural reservoirs, they said, adding that the infection leads to inflammation of heart muscles and can result in cardiac failure.

Shankar did not show any signs of illness until a day before his death, they added.

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The African elephant was gifted to India by Zimbabwe in 1998 and was named after former President Shankar Dayal Sharma. His companion, Bombai, died in 2005.