Manhattan zoo's last remaining cheetah euthanized
Cancerous mass was found near feline's heart in June.
MANHATTAN — Sunset Zoo in Manhattan is without cheetahs after the death of a 13-year-old feline.
The Manhattan Mercury (http://bit.ly/1xE6rtY ) reported that the veterinary staff euthanized its last remaining cheetah on Thursday. The health of the male cheetah, named Jaleni, had been declining since a cancerous mass was found near his heart in June.
The Veterinary Health Center at Kansas State University cares for the zoo’s 200-plus animals. A full necropsy of Jaleni is planned.
In 2004, Jalani and his brother, Adolpho, came to Sunset Zoo from the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas. Adolpho died earlier this year from liver cancer.
Zoo staff is working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to identify additional cheetahs for its empty exhibit.