The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Honeycomb spread the alpaca love
Honeycomb the alpaca started his career as a pet therapy animal in Canberra, Australia, when he was just a few weeks old.
By the time he died in July this year, he had brought joy to thousands.
While most predators do not want to mess with alpacas, the soft-fleeced camelids who fiercely guard livestock, their caring, sharing nature can make them perfect companions for the vulnerable.
This was indeed the case with Honeycomb who became famous for regularly visiting the Canberra’s Clare Holland House hospice.
He also visited the homeless, troubled young people, the blind and the traumatised.
A regular on the celebrity circuit in Australia, he outed himself as a monarchist in 2011, patiently waiting in the crowds for a glimpse of the Queen during her visit.
After a long, star-studded career, Honeycomb died in July this year, just before he turned 13. I move house in a week. There are packing crates everywhere. I’ve had to start a list of all my lists. I haven’t even started thinking about Christmas. So YES I HAVE BEEN FEELING A BIT STRESSED ACTUALLY.
Not any more though. An hour in the company of the anxiety-busting apacas of St Andrews has left me in a state of bliss.
Maybe it’s their strokable fleeces – dense and soft and the colour of a well-loved Teddy Bear. Maybe it’s those adorable moptop hairdos, or the way they murmur to one another. Or maybe it’s the warm smiles and cooing sounds they engender in onlookers. Whatever their secret, I’m adding an alpaca to my wish list. My new neighbours will be chuffed.