ONE of Hampshire’s top attractions is mourning the death of two of its animals - one of which was born less than a month ago.

The 140-acre Marwell Zoo has confirmed that a seven-year-old cheetah called Jabal and its youngest scimitar-horned oryx calf - Belle - have both passed away.

More than 220 people have taken to social media following the “heartbreaking” news.

Jabal, who was born at Landau Zoo in Germany on October 24 2012, arrived at Marwell in 2014 with his brother Tano.

Daily Echo:

Carrie Arnold, animal team leader for carnivores at the zoo, said the cheetah had been receiving treatment for the past month for kidney failure.

She added: “Despite our best efforts he was still losing weight and showed no sign of improvement and so we made the difficult decision to humanely euthanase him.

“His brother Tano will still be with us and we will continue to ensure his welfare is our top priority.”

Belle, who was born at Marwell on October 27, died suddenly and unexpectedly.

Daily Echo:

Scimitar-horned oryx are among the most endangered antelopes in the world. They are classed as “extinct in the wild” on a list of threatened species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Post-mortem tests will be carried out to establish the cause of Belle’s death.

A Marwell spokesperson said: “Since the announcement was made, hundreds of people have been offering their condolences and support to the wildlife conservation charity which owns and operates Marwell Zoo.”

One of the people who took to social media said: “Very sad to lose such beautiful animals. You must be very attached to these amazing creatures.”

Another posted: “I got to see Jabal not so long ago and can imagine how heartbroken his keepers must be.”

Many of the people leaving messages of sympathy and support have expressed concern about the potential impact of the deaths of Belle’s mother and Jabal’s brother.

A recent visitor to Marwell said: “Saw Tano sitting by the fence constantly calling and thought it unusual. Heartbreaking to find out why.”

Another animal lover posted: “Hope Tano copes with losing his brother. So sad for all concerned.”

Marwell is still mourning the death of its founder, John Knowles, 89, who opened the attraction in 1972. He passed away after a short illness.