National Zoo euthanizes Speke gazelle

The National Zoo euthanized an aged Speke’s gazelle Monday because of its declining health.

The zoo said the 15-year-old animal, named Bati, was its only Speke’s gazelle. He was born at the St. Louis zoo in 1995 and came to the National Zoo in 1996.

Speke’s gazelles are among the smallest of gazelles. The usually have a lifespan of 12 years, the zoo said. They are named for the 19th-century British adventurer John Hanning Speke, and in the wild live in Ethiopia and Somalia.

--Michael E. Ruane