Hephner the alpaca surprised staff and residents at Cobram Regional Care on Monday, October 19.
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He’s met celebrities, rubbed shoulders with politicians and even made headlines for sneezing on the king – now, Hephner the alpaca has made a stop in Cobram.
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Residents and staff at Cobram Regional Care were treated to a surprise visit from Hephner and his owner, Robert Fletcher, on Monday, October 19.
Cobram Regional Care lifestyle co-ordinator Christine Cherry said residents and staff appreciated the visit, and it made their day “so special”.
“Hephner was a huge hit, lighting up the faces of everyone he met and bringing plenty of smiles, laughter and joy to our day,” she said.
“A big thank you to Hephner and Robert for generously donating their time to visit us.”
Robert said he had been taking Hephner to visit nursing homes since the alpaca was about nine months old.
Based in Goulburn, the pair have travelled far and wide, with recent visits taking them to Albury, Cobram and Tocumwal, before heading to Echuca, Griffith and back home.
Robert described Hephner’s personality as being “like a cat”, with everything on his own terms. However, he said Hephner was also very friendly and enjoyed interacting with residents, bringing them joy whenever he visited.
“There’s always an element of surprise when we walk in, and the general response is usually, ‘I’ve seen one on TV, but I’ve never seen one this close,’” Robert said.
“We go from room to room and visit residents in their own rooms as well, because there are some who don’t always come out into the common areas.”
The pair’s community work extends to fundraising, with Robert organising an annual event with Hephner every year for the past five years ― this year raising money for Make-A-Wish Australia.
At 11 years old, the Huacaya alpaca, sporting quite the iconic mullet, has built an impressive reputation through a number of high-profile appearances.
One his most memorable moments came when he met King Charles several years ago, sneezing on the royal visitor in an encounter that went viral online.
His busy schedule has also included an appearance at a gala night at Darling Harbour in Sydney, hosted by the American Embassy, a lunch with the Victorian premier and the opposition leader, and even a church service at St Matthew’s Cathedral in Albury.
Robert also takes Hephner with him to Canberra every couple of weeks for work, using the opportunity to visit a hospice on the way home and spend time with patients at the mental health unit at Calvary in Sydney.
Now back home, Hephner is keeping busy with photo sessions at Fletcher’s Ark Farmyard, where visitors can have their photo taken with the alpaca dressed up as Santa.
You can follow Hephner’s adventures on his Facebook page by searching ‘Hephner the Alpaca’.
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