Polar bear death linked to zebra herpes
Thursday, August 16, 2012 - 19:00
in Biology & Nature
In 2010 at the Wuppertal Zoo in Germany, brain inflammation killed one female polar bear, Jerka, and sickened her male companion, Lars, whom veterinarians were able to save. After investigating samples from Jerka, Lars and nine other polar bears, researchers believe they have identified the culprit: a mishmash virus that originated in zebras.