The Dallas Zoo is mourning the loss of its resident capybara Fred.
Fred was nearly 9 years old, while the median life expectancy of a male capybara is 7 years old.
The zoo says Fred was dealing with several age-related health issues and zoologists and veterinarians kept him as comfortable as possible.
Unfortunately, his health declined and the zoo says it had to make the difficult decision to "humanely euthanize him on Saturday."
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Fred came to the Dallas Zoo in 2013 and was one of the stars of the Wonders of the Wild show and participated in more than 1,700 programs before retiring. The zoo estimates Fred taught hundreds of thousands of people about the world's largest rodent while inspiring guests to save animals from extinction.
"Fred was also adored by our staff and volunteers here at the Zoo - especially by those who had the privilege of taking care of him over the years - for his charming, loveable personality. He will be deeply missed," the Dallas Zoo posted on Facebook.
