Delhi zoo loses sole African elephant, mystery deepens over animal deaths

Mystery continues to deepen over the string of animal deaths at Delhi’s National Zoological Park (NZP), which has remained closed to visitors for more than 65 days. The zoo’s only African elephant, Shankar, was the latest to die, one among several animals reported dead since August 2025. The 29-year-old elephant was found dead in his enclosure on September 17, after spending 13 years in solitary confinement.

Officials have confirmed that Shankar died from encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), a rare and often fatal viral disease known to affect elephants, primates, pigs and several other mammals. The infection, caused by a virus in the Cardiovirus genus, primarily attacks the heart muscle, leading to sudden cardiac failure. According to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly, which conducted the postmortem, this is the first known case of EMCV reported from any Indian zoo.

Brought to India from Zimbabwe in November 1998 as a gift to then President Shankar Dayal Sharma, Shankar had been a resident of the Delhi Zoo for over two decades.

No official death toll

According to sources, approximately 15 animals have died at the Delhi Zoo since August 2025. The zoo authorities have not released any official figures or a statement explaining the total number and cause of these deaths.

Following the detection of avian influenza, the zoo was closed indefinitely on August 30 as a precautionary measure. The outbreak began in the last week of August, leading to the deaths of 12 birds, including nine painted storks and three black-headed ibis, between August 24 and September 6. Tests later confirmed that seven of these birds were infected with the H5N1 virus.

In the weeks that followed, two zebra finches were found dead on September 17, while a day later, Shankar, the zoo’s 29-year-old African elephant, also died in his enclosure. Earlier that month, five of the six tiger cubs born to tigress Aditi did not survive, adding to concerns over animal care and disease control at the facility.

Testing and delays

In the latest update on Monday, NZP Director Sanjeet Kumar said, “Fourth fortnightly surveillance samples were taken on October 30 from NZP and sent to NIHSAD, Bhopal. After getting a negative sample report from NIHSAD, the zoo will be opened for visitors on getting permission from the competent authority. Results are expected this week.”

Since the closure, surveillance samples have been sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, every 15 days to detect potential infections. However, no conclusive results have been shared publicly by the zoo authorities so far.

On October 11, the NZP Director issued a statement confirming that no active presence of the avian influenza virus had been detected at the facility. Since Shankar’s death, no fatalities have been reported. However, the zoo has remained closed ever since.

“As part of ongoing surveillance, two additional rounds of sampling will be conducted at an interval of 15 days to ensure continued safety and a disease-free status. Based on the results of these surveillance samples for avian influenza (H5N8), a decision will be taken to reopen the zoo for visitors after October 30,” the Director had said on October 11.

However, on November 3, the zoo authorities said that the results for the fourth surveillance sample will take another week to arrive.

Authorities silent

Zoo authorities have maintained complete silence over the total number of deaths at the zoo since the outbreak and the reasons behind the prolonged closure. Repeated queries have gone unanswered for

days, raising questions about transparency and accountability.