Zoo to hold post mortem as cheetah dies overnight two months after arrival

Cleo, who was five years old, arrived in Scotland from the Fota Wildlife Park in County Cork, Ireland, in August.

David Field, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said: “In spite of the best efforts of our veterinary team and specialist animal carers, I’m sorry to say that Cleo passed away last night, following a short illness.

“We are still trying to establish what the cause of death is but we believe it is related to liver failure. We will know more after a post-mortem examination.

“Cleo wasn’t here at Edinburgh Zoo for long but in that time she made an amazing impression on all of the staff, vets, and visitors who met her. She will be sadly missed.”

When she arrived in Edinburgh, the zoo’s carnivore team leader Alison MacLean said: “Welcoming cheetahs back to the zoo after 24 years is wonderful.

“The species is vulnerable to extinction in the wild and we are hopeful we can bring in another cheetah soon to live with Cleo.”

Cheetahs are the fastest mammals on earth and are able to go from zero to 60 miles per hour in just three seconds. They are found mainly in eastern and southern Africa, including Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

But they are included on the “red list” of threatened species and are classed as facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Human settlement and agricultural expansion has reduced their habitat. They are also hunted for their skins and for body parts, which are thought to be used in traditional medicine. Cheetahs also have a low rate of reproduction.