Zoo mourns death of baby cheetah (From Gazette)

Zoo mourns death of baby cheetah

5:09pm Tuesday 10th November 2009 in News

A BABY cheetah has been put to sleep after a sudden illness.

Colchester Zoo's hand-reared cub Katavi was put to sleep last Friday following a two-week battle against an infection.

Katavi fell ill on October 30. At first zoo staff suspected she had injured her spine or legs but tests revealed she had an infection in her neck tissue.

Despite round the clock care her condition became worse and she put to sleep last Friday.

Zoo director Anthony Tropeano said: "Friday was probably the worst day of my 25 year career at the zoo.

"I am very upset to have lost Katavi. "She was an extraordinarily special animal to me and has left a hole in many people's lives that will be difficult to fill.

"I have many happy memories of her but I am devastated that her life has been cut so short."

The zoo says it plans to honour her memory, but at this stage there are no details as to how this will be done.