Age-related ailments claim Honolulu Zoo’s cheetah

Oringo, the Honolulu Zoo’s 14-year-old male cheetah, was euthanized Thursday due to health compli­cations associated with aging.

The zoo announced the big cat’s demise Friday, saying cheetahs have an average life expectancy of 10 to 12 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.

Oringo came to the Honolulu Zoo in 2007 from Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore. He was the Waikiki attraction’s lone cheetah.

Housing costs affect health

Honolulu is the healthiest county in Hawaii based on low rates of premature death and smoking and accessibility to exercise opportunities, according to the annual County Health Rankings released this week.

Among the 30 measures used in the study of U.S. counties, Honolulu’s premature-death rate, which counts every death before the age of 75, was 5,400 per 100,000 residents, ranking it at the top for longevity. The adult smoking rate was 11 percent, compared with 13 percent statewide, while 96 percent of the population had access to areas for physical activity.

Maui and Kauai followed Oahu in the healthiest-counties report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Hawaii County ranked the worst in the state, with 7,300 premature deaths per 100,000, 70 percent of residents with access to exercise opportunities and 15 percent adult smokers. In addition, 25 percent of Big Isle households experienced housing problems, including overcrowding, high costs and other issues, compared with 28 percent in Honolulu.

Overall the state has a “severe housing cost burden,” with 19 percent of households spending more than half their income on housing compared with the U.S. median of around 10 percent.

The health of the population is influenced by the environment, with high housing costs making it hard for families to afford healthful food, medication and transportation, the report said.

For more information, go to countyhealthrankings.org.