Second young elephant dies from virus at New York zoo

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — A second young elephant has died at a central New York zoo despite frantic efforts by staff to combat a lethal virus. Officials at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse say 5-year-old Batu died early Friday morning, days after the sudden death of his younger brother, Ajay. Both elephants died from a strain of herpes that targets Asian elephants. The zoo says Batu had been in treatment since last week, receiving medications and infusions of plasma, but the viral load in