Columbus Zoo cheetah Izzy dies after health complications

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium announced that Izzy, a cheetah that has been at the zoo for seven years, has died.

She died recently after not responding to treatment for liver disease. Izzy was brought to the Columbus Zoo along with her three sisters as cubs. The Zoo in its statement described Izzy as being "observant, cunning, tactical, and above all, fierce" while also being labeled one of the fastest cheetahs at the Zoo.

Izzy was the first cheetah in the world to give birth to cubs via embryonic transfer (IVF) in 2020. Her two cubs, Dave and Adrienne, still live at the Zoo while Izzy allowed the animal care team to collect milk for a repository at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the Zoo said.

"Izzy was beloved by the Wild Encounters Africa team and revered by the Columbus Zoo community," the Zoo said in its statement. "We feel her loss deeply and continue to provide love and care for her surviving sister Lucy and Dave and Adrienne. Her remarkable spirit and impact will forever be a part of our hearts and her species' future."