Esther’s humans noticed something was amiss with her last year.Photo: Esther the Wonder Pig

Esther the Wonder Pig, who inspired several children’s books and had over 2 million social media followers, died at age 11 on Oct. 19.
The pig’s pet parents posted the sad news on Instagram Thursday. “There’s no easy way to say this, but the day we all wished would never come has arrived. Esther has passed away,” Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter wrote toEsther’s social media followers, adding that they are going to “take a little break to process the situation.”
“Even though Esther is no longer physically with us, her memory and legacy will live forever,” the owners continued. “Esther is immortal, and we will continue to show the world that all animals deserve to be loved just like she was.”
In 2012, real estate agent Jenkins thought he had adopted a miniature pig when he brought a 4-lb. Esther to the house he shared with Walter, two dogs, and two cats. By the time Jenkins and Walter realized that miniature pigs still grow to be several hundred pounds, “we had already fallen in love with her,” Jenkins told PEOPLE in 2018.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

While Jenkins and Walter separated last year, they continued co-parenting Esther and kept her followers in the loop about the pig’s health struggles over the past several years.
source: people.com