Toledo Zoo's 9-year-old elephant Lucas dies

TOLEDO, Ohio (WNWO) — The Toledo Zoo's youngest elephant, 9-year-old Lucas, has died.

President and CEO Jeff Sailer published a video on the zoo's Facebook page Wednesday afternoon explaining that Lucas' affliction, elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus, can be deadly to younger elephants.

Sailer thanked staff members, veterinarians, ProMedica and other zoos for providing care, medication and plasma.

He hopes the loss can contribute to a deeper understanding of the virus, which was previously only thought to cause symptoms in Asian elephants before affecting African elephants in more recent years.