An eight-year-old male cheetah at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore has died.
The cheetah, named Bud, was “humanely euthanized” after a long battle with gastrointestinal illness, which is common among his species, the zoo said in a news release.
His symptoms were complex, which needed intensive care by his keepers, the zoo’s veterinarians and a number of veterinary specialists. The zoo said Bud showed promising responses to the various treatments, but his condition slowly got worse.
“Over the past week, it became clear that his quality of life had deteriorated and the difficult decision was made to euthanize him,” the release said.
Bud and his brother Davis arrived the zoo from the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari in Ashland, Nebraska, in March of 2019.
For the last several years, the cheetah brothers lived together in the African Journey section. The zoo reports that Davis is doing well despite his brother’s absence.
Cheetahs, which are the world’s fastest land mammals, are considered endangered, with less than 12,500 worldwide, because of human pressures such as reducing habitat, poaching and extermination by ranchers.
“Zoos are an important link to saving the cheetah,” the Maryland Zoo said.
