Cheetahs in zoo kill straying deer

WASHINGTON - Two cheetahs at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo came across unexpected prey, and the result was predictable, zoo officials said.

Zoo officials said a whitetailed deer was killed by the cheetahs after it apparently jumped into their enclosure Friday. A spokesman called it “a normal and expected reaction” by the carnivorous big cats.

A zookeeper heard noises from the cheetah pen shortly before noon and found the deer carcass next to the cheetah siblings, named Carmelita and Justin, the zoo said.

Doctors will examine the carcass to make sure the deer didn’t have any diseases.

No witnesses saw the deer entering the cheetah habitat, but deer are plentiful in Rock Creek Park, which borders the zoo. The National Park Service has used sharpshooters to control the deer population.