CHESTER ZOO is  mourning the death of its second young elephant in less than a month.

Three-year-old Nayan had been receiving veterinary treatment for a number of days and appeared to be making a recovery before deteriorating and passing away on Monday (July 29).

The reason for Nayan’s death will be the subject of a post-mortem examination and although it is too early to speculate as to the cause, testing for elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) will be carried out.

The sad news comes just weeks after the death of two-year-old female elephant calf Jamilah on July 3.

A post-mortem examination revealed Jamilah died of EEHV, which affects  both wild and captive elephants aged between one and four years of age.

For years Chester Zoo has been heavily involved in a project supporting scientists from the University of Glasgow, the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency and The Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh looking into the virus.

There are various strains of EEHV, which have affected mostly young elephants throughout Europe and America, and supported by the zoo, the research team recently discovered the genetic maps for two strains of EEHV.

The work will bring the zoo a step closer to helping develop a vaccine for the viruses, for which there is currently no cure.

A spokesperson for the zoo said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our young male elephant Nayan Hi Way.

“Although Nayan did appear to be making a recovery from ill health,  unfortunately his health deteriorated this morning and he died a short time ago.

“The rest of the elephant herd remain in good health and can be seen out on the paddock as normal.”

Dr Mark Pilgrim, Director General and chair of the UK Elephant Welfare Group, said: “This is devastating news for all of us at the zoo.

“The loss of two young elephants has a profound effect on everyone who works so hard to provide the best level of care for the herd.

“Just days ago, Nayan was happy and healthy and enjoying life.

“Although it is too early to be sure of the cause of Nayan’s death, EEHV hits elephants both in the wild and in zoos.

“This year, there have been a number of reported cases of EEHV in

elephants in America and in Europe and currently there is no cure or vaccination.

“It is important to note that this virus does not discriminate between zoo elephants and elephants in the wild.

“It affects them all and we will continue to support the research into this in the hope that one day a vaccine can be found to help the endangered Asian elephant,” he added.