'Fred' The Lesser Kudu Passes Away At The Denver Zoo
DENVER (CBS4) - A lesser kudu known as "Fred" at the Denver Zoo passed away.
The 15-year-old male had to be euthanized after a decline in his health, which included chronic arthritis, due to his advanced age.
"Fred was a great animal and we'll remember him for being incredibly good-natured, especially for a male, lesser kudu," the zoo posted Monday on Facebook. "For years, we tried to make him more comfortable with regular physical therapy and acupuncture treatments and he was always so calm."
Fred was born on April 14, 2002, at the St. Louis Zoological Park, coming to Denver in July, 2009, and was the oldest male of his species, and the second-oldest overall, in North American zoos.
He fathered seven calves with two mates at the Denver Zoo.
Lesser kudus, according to the Denver Zoo, typically live 12 to 15 years in zoos.
Currently, three lesser kudu females live at the zoo.
