11/01/2026
It is with great sadness we share the news that Kali, one of our beloved cheetahs, was compassionately euthanized last week after being diagnosed with several serious, irreversible health conditions.
While saying goodbye is never easy, we believe that doing so before an animal reaches their worst day is the final gift of comfort and compassion we can give the animals in our care.
Last fall, Kali began medication for kidney disease when a routine exam showed that her kidney values were slightly elevated, which is common in aging cats. Then, in recent weeks, her care team noticed that she was drinking more water, eating less, and showing possible neurological symptoms, so her planned recheck exam was moved up.
Sadly, the CT scan revealed kidney failure and a large mass in her skull that was likely affecting her neurologically. Together, her veterinary and animal care teams weighed her diagnosis, her geriatric age, and her quality of life, and agreed that sparing her the suffering that comes with the end stages of these conditions was the most caring choice.
Kali was born on October 1, 2014, and came to The Living Desert from Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in 2016, along with her sisters Bela and Sudi. Kali was always the leader among the three: confident, curious, and eager to interact with her care team. Elizabeth Hiner, Assistant Animal Care Curator and one of cheeaths’ primary caretakers, said Kali “could always spot a blue shirt from a mile away, and when something caught her eye, she gave it her complete attention.”
“She was an inspiration to guests and a beautiful ambassador for her iconic species,” Elizabeth added. “She will be missed by everyone who had the privilege of caring for and visiting her over the years.”
In the days since Kali’s passing, Sudi is doing well. She is eating her full diet and interacting with her care team as usual. Female cheetahs are naturally solitary in the wild, so we expect her to remain comfortable on habitat, and she will continue to receive plenty of enrichment and expert care.
As we do with each animal we have had the honor to care for, we will carry Kali’s memory with us. We invite you to share yours in the comments. 🐆
