One year ago today, Chester Zoo confirmed the tragic death of one of its young elephants.
The zoo said that Riva, a four-year-old female Asian elephant at the time, had died.
It came after Riva's mum, Sundara Hi Way, died at the zoo the month prior after complications from an illness.
The zoo said 'anomalies' were detected in a routine blood test on August 21, 2024, which gave keepers cause for concern.
Heartbreakingly, while undergoing a further routine diagnostic procedure, Riva died under general anaesthetic.
The zoo said its teams did everything they could to try to revive her but, tragically, nothing could be done.
Jamie Christon, the zoo’s CEO, said: “It really is difficult to find the words – we’re so utterly heartbroken to have lost Riva.
"She was an incredibly special elephant who was much-loved by so many. She’ll be greatly missed.
“Our hearts go out to our wonderful elephant and vet teams who cared for Riva day in, day out.
"Her loss is ever so tough to take and is not only felt deeply here but across our conservation community given what a huge blow this is to the conservation of endangered Asian elephants.
"We are devastated by this news.”
Asian elephants are listed as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Species.
In the wild, they are threatened by poaching, habitat loss, conflict with humans and disease.
Chester Zoo has a long history in Asian elephant conservation, both at the zoo through its successful endangered species breeding programme and in the wild where it supports conservation efforts across India.
This story was first reported on by Joe Robinson on August 28, 2024.
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