Pirouz, the last survivor of three endangered Asiatic cheetah cubs, born in captivity in Iran and died in hospital on 28 February from kidney failure has become world known.

Iran PressIran News: The endangered Asiatic cheetah cub, Pirouz, born and raised in captivity in Tehran, died of acute kidney failure on Tuesday days before he would have turned 10 months old.

He died at the Central Veterinary Hospital in the Iranian capital after undergoing dialysis the previous night.

Pirouz's caretaker, Alireza Shahrdari, with moist eyes told reporters that taking care of the cheetah cub was challenging as the cub, delivered via C-section and not breastfed, faced various health complications.

After his death, The Guardian news website published Pirouz's picture in the best of this week’s wildlife pictures, including a coyote in the snow, a hungry ibis, and giraffes on the move.

Pirouz, which translates into “victorious” in Persian, was the last of two siblings born last May to “Iran” and “Firouz.”

“Iran,” the female Asiatic cheetah, with a high chance of pregnancy, was early last year transferred to a fenced area in the central part of the country where she mated with “Firouz”, a male cheetah.

The three cubs were the first to be born in captivity in Iran. Two of them died within the first two weeks of their birth but Pirouz managed to survive despite heavy odds.

Unfortunately, “Iran” refused to nurse her newly-born cubs.

In addition to breastfeeding, mothers lick their cubs’ bottoms to stimulate them to defecate and urinate, which Pirouz missed while in captivity.

Cheetah Conservation Fund, an international organization founded in Namibia in 1991 dedicated to saving the cheetah, says chronic kidney disease is commonly found in captive cheetahs.

It is still not scientifically known why captive cheetahs are more prone to this condition than their wild counterparts, but diet, age, genetic diversity, and chronic stress are cited as risk factors.

Pirouz had been previously diagnosed with gastrointestinal problems that persisted until his death.

Meanwhile, Amir Moradi, the head of the Central Veterinary Hospital, announced that “Iran” is most likely pregnant again and they are waiting for an ultrasound to confirm her pregnancy.

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Iran cheetah cub Pirouz dies due to kidney failure