A cheetah that arrived at Edinburgh Zoo just two months ago has died.

Edinburgh Zoo shared the news that Cleo the cheetah died overnight "despite the hard work of the vet team and keepers".

The zoo said that staff are still trying to establish what the cause of death is but believe it is related to liver failure.

Five-year-old Cleo arrived at the zoo from Fota Wildlife Park in Ireland on August 1 and was the first cheetah at the zoo for nearly a quarter of a century.

David Field, Chief Executive of The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which owns and operates Edinburgh Zoo, said: "In spite of the best efforts of our veterinary team and specialist animal carers, I’m sorry to say that Cleo passed away last night, following a short illness.

READ MORE: Vet's advice on looking after pets' teeth

"We are still trying to establish what the cause of death is but we believe it is related to liver failure. We will know more after a post-mortem examination.

“Cleo wasn’t here at Edinburgh Zoo for long but in that time she made an amazing impression on all of the staff, vets, and visitors who met her. She will be sadly missed.”

North-eastern cheetahs are native to Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan in small and heavily fragmented populations. 

Wild populations are in decline due to poaching, illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss and lack of prey.