Keepers at a Kent animal park are mourning the death of a beloved cheetah.

Bajrami, who had a race car named after him, was put to sleep at The Big Cat Sanctuary, in Smarden, following ill health.

Along with his two brothers, Martin and Keene, Bajrami arrived at the sanctuary in 2014 from Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire

Although smaller in stature than his two brothers, who have also since passed, Bajrami was arguably the most striking of the three, staff say.

Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said: "In his prime, his dark coat with an impressive long mantle of fur on his shoulders and the way he hung his broad head low when he walked made Bajrami look so powerful and even at times a little intimidating.

"His personality though, was easily the most mellow of the three."

Keepers, who called him 'B', said he was a 'very relaxed character'.

Briony added: "He took everything in his stride, and took his own sweet time to do anything, ironic for a cat who has a DSTecheetah race car named after him.

"He was calm and focussed in training sessions, and would come into the training area each week to be weighed, calmly, slowly, and oh so gently moving around and onto the weighing scales for his treats, allowing his keepers to monitor his body condition.

"Then, when the treats ran out, just as gently he would wander back outside to lie in the grass or in his outside shelter if the weather wasn’t being kind."

French racing driver Jean Eric Vergne, who competes in the FIA Formula E Championship with DS Techeetah, has Bajrami's name printed on his car.

In 2017, Bajrami moved to Wingham Wildlife Park to be paired with a female and became a father, the only one of the three brothers to father cubs.

Willow, his daughter, still lives at The Big Cat Sanctuary.

Briony said: "Although Willow differs from her father in personality, she really is her father’s daughter when it comes to looks.

"She has his compact frame, his strong square head shape and is beautifully vocal, just like her dad."

Bajrami, would have been 12 years old this month and his health has been under close review for a while.

Historical health issues which had once been manageable were becoming less so, and were beginning to take their toll.

It was decided in consultation last Wednesday, with vet Dr Nic Masters that it was the best thing for Bajrami to be put to rest.

The Big Cat Sanctuary is set in 32 acres of grassland and is home to a variety of different wild cat species from the smallest in the world to the most endangered.

In November, the sanctuary said goodbye to Sumatran tiger Nias.