'Incredible Ambassador For Wildlife,' Dallas Zoo Mourns Loss Of Capybara Named Fred

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The Dallas Zoo is mourning the loss of 'Fred,' a capybara who passed away at nearly 9 years old on Feb. 26.

"Fred was an incredible ambassador for wildlife during his long life," the zoo shared on social media.

A spokesperson said Fred lived beyond the 7-year median life expectancy for male capybaras and was dealing with several health issues related to his age recently.

Saying they're "heartbroken," zoologists and veterinarians kept Fred comfortable but his health continued to decline. Thus, they made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize him.

Fred came to the Dallas Zoo in 2013 and was one of the stars of its Wonders of the Wild show before retiring from life on stage to live in ZooNorth with Tullah, the giant anteater last year. He participated in more than 1,700 programs, where he highlighted the natural swimming abilities and sheer size of the world's largest rodent for hundreds of thousands of zoo guests with the goal of inspiring all of you to save animals from extinction.

Zoo staff and volunteers agree that Fred was "adored," for his "charming, loveable personality."