Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus-haemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD) is frequently stated to be the most common cause of death in captive Asian elephant Elephas maximus populations in Europe and North America. However, the impact on the European population has not been quantified. The aim of this study was to quantify and describe EEHV deaths in Asian elephants in Europe between 1985 and 2017, and to evaluate potential risk factors. Asian elephants born in the study period were tracked for eight years, or until death, depending on which occurred first. Excluding stillborn and perinatal deaths (