National Zoo Reports Death of Cheetah, 'Shombay'

Photo Credit: Ashley Franklin, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

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The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is mourning the loss of a 12-year-old male cheetah named Shombay, who died Saturday, according to a news release from the zoo.

The institute is located on a 3,200-acre campus located just outside the town of Front Royal.

A final pathology report will provide more information, but his health had been in decline for the past few months, the zoo said. In February, an X-ray detected a growth in Shombay’s abdomen. Due to his advanced age and the location of the tumor, veterinarians elected not to perform surgery but continued to closely monitor its growth.

The median life expectancy for a cheetah in human care is 8-12 years old, the zoo noted. Cheetah longevity in the wild is 6-8 years.

Shombay arrived at the institute in 2011 from Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, in Texas. Born at the Columbus Zoo June 8, 2003, he was the last living cheetah produced via artificial insemination.

Although presented with the opportunity to breed, Shombay never sired any offspring, the zoo said. Rather, he served as an ambassador for his species, illustrating the biology and behavior of cheetahs to SCBI scientists and researchers, the zoo said.