A very popular and rare wolf living in the Hudson Valley died.

Atka, an Arctic Wolf, staying at the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem died in his sleep early Saturday morning.

"It is with deep sorrow that we share news about the most magnificent wolf we have ever known," the Wolf Conservation Center wrote on social media. "His impact on wolf conservation persists and cannot be overstated. He instilled compassion, understanding, and awareness to the hundreds of thousands of people he met over his storied career."

Atka was the oldest wolf ambassador at the conservation center in Westchester. He often made public appearances in the Hudson Valley calling attention to the Arctic Wolf's critical endangerment status.

Atka arrived in Westchester from Minnesota at just 8 days old.

The Wolf Conservation Center shared the news of Atka's passing on their social media pages. As of this writing, 24,000 people either shared, retweeted, reacted or commented on Twitter or Facebook.

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