MIAMI – A King Cheetah that has called Zoo Miami home since 1999 died Friday.
ZOO Miami officials said King George was euthanized after suffering from range of illnesses from intestinal issues to diabetes. Veterinarians treated the cheetah for the last year, but said his condition took a sudden and significant turn for the worse on Friday morning.
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According to Zoo Miami, King George, who was 16 years old, outlived most King Cheetahs, who rarely live past 10 years in the wild.
The King Cheetah is a rare genetic mutation of the cheetah species, distinguished by their broad stripes along their back and large black blotches. There are only believed to be 100 left in the world.
King George was born on Oct. 17, 1998, at the DeWildt Cheetah Center in South Africa and was brought to Zoo Miami in May 1999.