Saving Baby Elephants from a Deadly Herpes Virus

One biotechnology company is accelerating efforts to eradicate a fatal disease affecting endangered elephants.

BY PAUL GILHAM
Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (“EEHV”) is the leading cause of death in juvenile Asian elephants born in North America and in their natural range countries. With fewer than 52,000 Asian elephants left in the wild, this endangered species has sharply declined over the past 100 years due to humans encroaching on their lands and illegal killing. Asian elephants, known to be engineers of biodiversity, face a high risk of extinction in the wild – and without them, ecosystems would crumble.
Now, genetic engineering and de-extinction company, Colossal Biosciences, is announcing plans to develop a vaccine that would prevent the deadly virus from infecting elephants – both in zoos and in their natural habitats.To Learn More Click Here