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Farewell to Steelman, a Male Cheetah

Naples

Florida

Naples Zoo

 

Steelman, the male cheetah at the Naples Zoo passed away Friday. He was close to sixteen years old when he died, making him one of the oldest living cheetahs in US zoos. This is about triple the life expectancy of cheetahs in the wild.

 

I had the privilege to be a docent at the zoo and to talk to guests about Steelman and the other cheetah for the past two years every Monday morning.

 

I do not normally put up images of zoo animals, but I felt I would do so in honor of Steelman. I will miss him. One of the reasons I volunteer at the zoo is to be close to animals found in Africa, and to enjoy seeing those animals between trips.

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Uploaded on December 21, 2014
Taken on July 22, 2013