Condolences poured in for the Louisiana beaver-like legend who once appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show

Condolences have poured in for a Louisiana couple who successfully battled wildlife authorities to keep their domesticated nutria as a pet, watched the semi-aquatic rodent appear on cable news and accumulate a social media following tens of thousands strong, and then endured the animal’s recent death from cancer.

Denny and Myra Lacoste announced Neuty’s death on Monday on Instagram, where more than 37,000 users followed an account dedicated to documenting the nutria’s life.

“Neuty passed away peacefully in his sleep Saturday morning on one of his favorite rugs,” the announcement read. “We are devastated and our hearts hurt.”

One reply to the post that was representative of the various others said: “What an exceptional creature he was, with the very best family! He’ll be so dearly missed.”