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BALTIMORE (AP) — The Maryland Zoo says twin female cheetahs have died there of an uncommon liver disease.
Nine-year-old Tuli and Teep were diagnosed last month with veno-occlusive disease, a genetic disease unique to cheetahs, zoo spokeswoman Jane Ballentine said in a news release.
Despite treatment, Ballentine says, Teep died of the illness this week, and Tuli was euthanized.
Tuli and Teep came to the zoo in July from a San Diego facility.
Cheetahs live mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. There are only about 7,500 to 10,000 cheetahs left in the wild. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers cheetahs to be vulnerable to extinction.
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