WINNIPEG -- A Manitoba steer that garnered international attention for its massive height has died.
Kismet Creek Farm, an animal sanctuary located near Steinbach, Man. said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that Dozer, a supersized steer that was living on the farm, died on Tuesday at the age of seven.
"It was a tremendous shock and still doesn't feel real," the post reads.
Speaking with CTV News on Thursday, Kismet Creek co-owner Karl Schoenrock said Dozer was an important part of the farm and an important part of his family.
"Dozer was bigger than life," he said. "When I first saw him, and just his size, I was just blown away, not for trying to get a record or anything like that, but I just saw this magnificent beast, and he was as gentle as a giant.
"We were so happy to get him to our farm just to be able to show people, show kids how big livestock can actually get when they're allowed to live."
Dozer arrived at Kismet Creek after being rescued from a ranch in Alberta in 2018.
He captured attention after a photo of an Australian steer that measured six-foot-four became popular online that year. Dozer was measured slightly taller, at six-foot-five.
Dozer was a popular attraction at Kismet Creek Farm, with people travelling from around the world to see the steer.
"People were just amazed by his sheer size and then understanding once I got in there with him, how gentle he was, and then just having the comparison of me being six feet tall and standing next to him, and he's still towering over me," Schoenrock said.
Schoenrock said he was thankful for the people who got to meet Dozer over the past two years.
"We were just happy that people got to enjoy him, take selfies with him and enjoy him for who he was," he said.
