Beloved meerkat dies after winning over guests at Virginia Zoo. ‘Such a cool dude’

Guests have been flooding the Virginia Zoo’s Facebook page with photos and loving messages about Tim, a 9-year-old meerkat who died after winning over hearts at the zoo for years.

The meerkat died after a blood clot in his heart traveled to his brain, causing a stroke, according to a post on the zoo’s Facebook page on June 13.

Tim left behind his two brothers, Hardy and Nub.

Guests commented on the zoo’s post with photos and videos of the three meerkats and messages of love.

“I always called them Moe, Larry and Curly since they were so entertaining,” wrote Jessica Joy. “Condolences to the meerkat team.”

“Rest In Peace Tim!” wrote Katie Shematek Vogler. “You were such a cool dude.”

Meerkats are small mammals native to southern Africa.

They can grow to about 11.5 inches, and their lifespan in the wild is 12 to 14 years, according to National Geographic.

This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Beloved meerkat dies after winning over guests at Virginia Zoo. ‘Such a cool dude’."