Iranians woke up on Tuesday to the death of Pirouz, a cheetah cub of the critically endangered Asiatic species and the very last one of them in captivity. Symbolizing hope for many Iranians, Pirouz had been making headlines since last May when he survived being born via a C-section while his two siblings were stillborn.
Pirouz, whose Persian name means "triumphant," suffered one complication after another during his 10-month life. Last Thursday, he was hospitalized for dialysis under a team of veterinarians at a Tehran clinic as they battled to prevent kidney failure.
