Young cheetah dies at Oregon Zoo

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Zoo officials say a 2-year-old cheetah named Scooter has died.

Zoo spokesman Bill LaMarche said Tuesday that initial necropsy results show an enlarged, abnormal pancreas, which could indicate pancreatic cancer. However, the animal's liver was also abnormal, suggesting veno-occlusive disease, which is common in cheetahs. LaMarche says pathology reports are pending.

Scooter died Sunday after being examined earlier in the day because he'd been listless since Christmas. Zoo vet Lisa Harrenstien says it appeared his abdomen was painful.

Scooter and his brother Suseli had been part of the zoo's Predators of the Serengeti exhibit. They arrived in late August from Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore.

Cheetahs can live as long as 17 years in zoos and perhaps 8 to 10 years in the wild.