New Zealand's woolly Super star Shrek has died.

The Merino Wether received international fame in 2004 after he was found in a cave in the high country.

Evading muster for six years and carrying 27kg worth of fleece, he was shorn on live TV shortly after his capture.

The wool raised money for the charity Cure Kids and the resulting global publicity was worth an estimated $100 million to the export industry.

At 17 years old Shrek was around 90 years old in human years.

During his unusually long and busy life Shrek had flown in planes and visited sick children in hospital. Even the then Prime Minister Helen Clark had wanted her photograph taken with him.

The decision to euthanize was made Monday morning after veterinarian advice confirmed it would be best for Shrek, whose circulation had begun to fail, and he needed help standing up.

Shrek's owner John Perriam of Bendigo Station in Otago says although it was a hard decision to make, it was the right one.

He said they didn’t want to put Shrek through anymore. They were great mates and it certainly wasn’t a day he had been looking forward to.

John Perriam said Shrek would be cremated and  his ashes spread over the top of Mt Cook.