Chester Zoo announces ‘sudden and unexpected’ death of Asian elephant Riva

Chester Zoo has sadly announced the “sudden and unexpected” death of their beloved female Asian elephant, Riva.

Merely weeks after the death of her mother, Sundara – who passed following a “tragic turn of events” after suddenly falling ill on 19 July 2024 – the UK’s biggest charity zoo is experiencing heartbreak once again and has now shared “with deep sadness” the news that young Asian elephant, Riva, has now also passed.

Riva died following complications during a routine diagnostic procedure last Wednesday (21 August), the zoo confirmed.

As part of the around-the-clock care and attention Riva received from Chester Zoo‘s 15-strong team of dedicated elephant and veterinary experts, she underwent a routine blood test where some anomalies were detected that were deemed a “cause for concern”.

Experts at the Cheshire-based zoo said it was “imperative” to investigate these anomalies “quickly and thoroughly” but heartbreakingly, while undergoing a further routine diagnostic procedure, Riva died under general anaesthetic.

Teams did “everything they could to try to revive her” but, tragically, nothing could be done.

Chester Zoo confirmed it’s now awaiting results from a series of tests which it hopes will tell it more about the exact cause of her death because staff are “desperate to find the answers”, but it may take some time before they have “full clarity on what happened” – primarily due to the number of ongoing tests and the specialist nature of them.

Chester Zoo’s CEO Jamie Christon says the zoo is “so utterly heartbroken” to have lost Riva.

“It really is difficult to find the words,” he said. “She was an incredibly special elephant who was much-loved by so many, and she’ll be greatly missed.

Read more:

• Chester Zoo ‘deeply shocked and saddened’ by death of beloved elephant Sundara
• Plans approved for new safari lodges at Chester Zoo where visitors wake up next to giraffes
• Chester Zoo named best zoo in the UK thanks to more than 11,000 ‘excellent’ ratings

“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.”

Featured Image – Chester Zoo (via Facebook)