The Lincoln Children’s Zoo has announced the death of Bella, a beloved cheetah who lived nearly 16 years, exceeding the typical life expectancy for cheetahs in human care. Bella came to the zoo in 2020 as one of the founding members of its Cheetah Chase program.
She had previously been a popular ambassador at the Columbus Zoo, and her extensive training and willingness to work with new people helped the Lincoln program get off to a successful start. “As Bella aged, she became a little slower, but she continued to enjoy running the Cheetah Chase course, or sometimes simply flopping down in the grass and rolling around,” zoo officials said in a statement.
The zoo says Bella often preferred attention from her keepers to almost any other reward, choosing a good scratch from her favorite people over food treats. Bella developed several chronic, age-related health conditions that continued to progress despite receiving extensive care.
The zoo says her health eventually reached a point where a good quality of life was no longer possible, and the animal care and veterinary teams made the compassionate decision to humanely euthanize her.
“Bella’s long life reflects the dedication and compassion of the team that cared for her. She helped educate and inspire countless visitors, played a key role in creating one of the zoo’s most popular experiences, and leaves behind what officials describe as an enormous legacy. Bella will be deeply missed by her keepers, the zoo staff and the many guests who came to know her.”
(Photos: Lincoln Children’s Zoo)