Honeycomb the alpaca, famous for riding in the back of his owner's little red Mazda 121, but more importantly offering some joy and comfort to the sick, dying and lonely, has passed away.
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The pet therapy alpaca would have turned 13 in October, passing away this week due to ongoing complications from a fall while visiting the Canberra Hospital five years ago.
Described as Canberra's most famous alpaca, Honeycomb was just a few weeks old when he started visiting Clare Holland House, the city's hospice, bringing a smile to those facing the end of their days.
He also visited the homeless, young people, the blind and people who had suffered torture in other countries, via Companion House. In 2011, he was almost as big a drawcard as Queen Elizabeth as he waited by the shores of Lake Burley Griffin for the monarch to sail by.
To his owners, Giralang couple Nils and Linda Lantzke, he was their "much-loved adopted son", living happily in their backyard after they took him in when he was found in a paddock in Captains Flat following the death of his mother.
Mr Lantzke was devastated by the loss but happy Honeycomb was no longer in pain.
"He was a son to me. He was my son," he said.
In a moving tribute the Lantzkes said Honeycomb "visited the sick, befriended the lonely and comforted the dying".
"He really did touch people's lives," Mr Lantzke said.
"If someone was crying, he'd go up to them and nuzzle their hand or their head. He understood their pain. He had an amazing ability to empathise with people."
They urged Honeycomb's friends to "take time to stop and eat the roses" because roses were his favourite treat.
Hercules, a 13-week-old alpaca, will be taking over Honeycomb's duties. He posed in the back of the Lantzkes' new blue Mazda 121 for this photograph but otherwise rides in the back of a van.
Stephanie Dean's father, Stephen , who died of cancer earlier this year, was buoyed by regular visits from another of the Lantzkes' pets, Forrest Gump the llama, before Mr Dean passed away.
"It just relaxed him, made him happy," she said.
Miss Dean was now working with the Lantzkes to form a charity to continue the visits by the llamas and alpacas. They have a Facebook page - Alpaca and Llama Animal Assisted Therapy.
"Dad said to me before he died, 'Make sure this work continues'," she said.
